Descendants: Growing Pains
by BlackRose999
Summary: After their 2nd year at Auradon, Mal and Ben's relationship begins to crumble. And with the arrival of four new VK's it becomes very clear where Mal's heart really lies. The story will have mature themes and be centered around Mal X Harry, be warned, this story gets kinda dark. *Starts slow, picks up more after the third chapter once the story is established.*
1. Chapter 1

**_Hey guys, BlackRose999 here! Just wanted to say hey and thanks for checking out my new story! I do wanna warn you ahead of time that this story is rated M for a REASON. It will have BDSM themes and some trigger warnings too. It will mainly revolve around Mal and Harry's relationship on and off the Isle and how something that is VERY wrong for others can be very right for certain people. I'm also debating whether to put polyamory into this story for certain characters or not, I'm not entirely sure, more on that later. _**

**_But anyway, enjoy the story and don't forget to R&R!_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DESCENDANTS OR ANYTHING RELATED TO IT. Unfortunately, the only thing I own is this story._**

_**Love Ya!**_

_Chapter One: The New Year_

* * *

**MAL**

* * *

For the umpteenth time that week, Mal found herself sitting on the hidden beach beside Auradon Prep staring out to sea. She gazed blankly in the only direction she knew _HE_ was staring back from, The Isle. Her tears had long since dried and with the sun beginning to set she knew she couldn't stay much longer, she'd already been out since noon… Evie would start getting nervous by now. Her appearance had changed over the last year, her bangs had evened out with the rest of her wavy waist-length hair and had finally settled on a gentle rose-gold color that it didn't seem to want to change from.

While she no longer tried to project the famed and unanimously hated "Pretty-Princess" look from her 2nd year in Auradon, she also couldn't revert back into her comfortable "Isle Rat" style that made everyone fear her and blessedly keep their fucking distance. She couldn't do that while being Ben's Lady… She had to be poised and polite and approachable at all times if she wanted to be the future Queen of Auradon. God, why did she want to be Queen again? Why did she want to be his Lady? She originally hadn't really cared about being his Lady, she just wanted to be with him because she cared about him and eventually realized she loved him… She did love him. Didn't she? Mal wasn't sure anymore, she and Ben had been growing more and more apart over the years and it had gotten to the point where they barely spoke to each other outside of Social Affairs. And she hated it, she hated how superficial and fake their relationship had become.

Her finger had been bare of his ring for months now, she hadn't even bothered to replace it with a costume ring or use magic to cover it with an illusion, and so far even with eagle-eyed paparazzi hounding him about how his relationship with her is faring, Ben remained oblivious to her discontentment.

She had silently been agonizing over the loss of the only thing that kept her mind from straying back to the one thing she craved more than anything else on the planet, something far stronger than alcohol or drugs, something with ice-blue eyes and arms thicker than the masts they helped build. She stood and made her way down the beach toward the sea, stripping down to her underthings and gasping at the coldness of the water. Her eyes glowed their signature vibrant green as she reached for her magic, letting it wrap her in a bubble of air as she imagined it hardening around her like a hollow ball of clear wax.

When she was sure it was ready and that the spell had worked, she slipped under the icy surface of the water and out of sight.

* * *

**EVIE**

* * *

Royal-Blue painted nails ghosted over the fabric of her latest creation as her mind wandered, while Doug went over accounting she had time to do a product check and make sure her newest fashion line was in superb condition before she allowed her friends to showcase it for made-to-order. Unlike the other kids from the Isle, Evie wasn't unaware of the sudden changes of the daughter of Maleficient. While she was in fact concerned for her friend, she was also acutely aware of the fact that not only did Mal greatly dislike any kind of breach in her privacy, she was known for lashing out when threatened with too much "mothering" too quickly.

The changes were subtle at first, she'd started hiding in their room more and more often or simply going on "walks" by herself. But then it became very apparent that something was very wrong was her, Mal had been different these last few months... when she thought no one was looking at her, a tear or two would slip silently down her perfect cheek before being whisked away and replaced with a mask of blissful serenity. It seemed like she couldn't contain her tears anymore, and lately, she'd caught her coming out of the forest at dusk with tear-stained cheeks and frigid skin. Perhaps it had something to do with Ben's absences? His 'Kingly Duties' often required him to be in other countries or in other towns and often without the ability of Mal accompanying him... Could it be as simple as her missing him?

"Evie!"

Doug's shout snapped her back into reality with surprising force, the sudden loss of her daydreaming almost causing her to topple over a mannequin containing Audrey's next Cotillion ballgown, a gown that was going to cost _thousands_. His hands were on her upper arm before she even had time to register that he'd moved from her desk, worry and fear so evident on his face it made her want to retch. On the Isle, such emotion would be met with absolute hate and pain.

She and Mal had learned that the hard way at a _very _young age.

"What in Hades is wrong with you!? You scared the daylights out of me!"

The rebuke seemed to shock him, and belatedly she realized she'd used a mixture of Auradon and Isle-speak to curse at him without breaking Fairy Godmother's rules.

"I was trying to get your attention for twenty minutes, Jay came by and said he needed to talk to you while you were… in your head. He said it was about Mal."

The fact that it was about Mal seemed to get her attention, sadness covered her features like a blanket before she had the ability to mask it. Doug might be young and in some cases naive, but he was no fool.

"E? Talk to me… Tell me what's going on with you lately. What's got you all wired like a bowstring ready to snap?"

Evie opened her mouth to answer with a lie or maybe even a half-truth, and was met with an annoyed look and quickly closed it with a blush and a small smile, after four years of being together Doug had learned her mannerisms so well he could tell when she was _about_ to lie.

"The truth Evie. Nothing less."

She sighed and nodded, then sat him down and tentatively told him what she could about Mal, the Isle, and what the New Year might hold.

* * *

**BEN**

* * *

After Cotillion Ben's life had taken a massive turn toward learning more of Royal Behavior and less toward learning about normal life and regular academics, he rarely spent more than two or three days home in Auradon and even less of that time was spent with his friends. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd hung out with the VK's like a normal kid, or when the last time he'd gone out on a date with Mal was. Currently, he was looking at a bill to bring in four more VK's from the Isle of the Lost like he promised Mal and Evie he would do, he needed to make sure the wording was perfect so it couldn't be argued or removed by future King's. He wanted to bring in a constant string of four kids a year, two boys and two girls, and open up a permanent wing at Auradon Prep for them where they can feel safe and comfortable while also being under watchful care.

So far he had the first four picked out.

Gil, Son of Gaston.

Harry, Son of Captain Hook.

Dizzy, Daughter of Drizella Tremaine.

And Uma, Daughter of The Sea Witch Ursula.

Tomorrow morning he'd send out the bill and allow the VK's to give the new students a tour of the school unattended, knowing that they had a good knowledge of how to handle the newest faces of Auradon Prep. Mal shouldn't have any problem dealing with people she'd grown up with on the Isle, right? He needed to have five kids be the first to arrive to establish a base group of kids, with Mal and the other VK's already here, the five new arrivals would make nine total housed VK's and make them able for Royal funding and sanctioned activities.

As he looked over the bill his mind drifted over to his girlfriend, his heart aching over how much he missed her.

Maybe he should do something nice for her as an apology for not being there with her lately?

A basket of fresh strawberries and a bouquet of purple roses?

A smile spread across his face as he thought of gifts he could give her that could help mend the wedge that his status had driven between them, and as he thought it over an idea popped into his head. Quickly standing and making his way over to his Collection of Rings, he scanned them and found the one he was looking for. A ring he had found with Audrey's help that was perfect for Mal's engagement ring, smiling to himself he quickly put it back in it's elevated case and went back to his desk.

Not at all noticing the familiar golden class ring that sat beside his Father's in the Family Case.

Morning came and for the first time he was able to see all four of his friends before he had to head out to Aladdin's Castle for another meeting about a new trade agreement, Jay and Carlos were the first ones awake since their athletic requirements required them to take early morning runs and be up for practices, and the first thing he noticed was that Jay had cut his hair over the summer.

His usual long wavy hair had been trimmed to a more manageable medium length that was styled to the left side of his face in natural half-curls, the shortness of his hair now allowed people to see that his ears were pierced with twin studs on either ear. He wore black ripped skinny jeans and a dark brown leather jacket over an auburn muscle tank despite the relatively cool September air, black hiking boots and a dual-tiered necklace with a miniature golden scimitar and lamp completed his look.

Carlos still looked much like he had the year before, his snowy tapered hair was still an unkempt mess he regularly ran his fingers through to get it to lay flat the way he liked it. He wore a dark blue tee that clung to his chest and similar-looking jeans to Jay's but in a lighter color and a silver chain was attached to his belt loops on his left side, black sneakers covered his feet and a grass-green quilted panel-vest jacket covered his arms against the cool air. The two of them were bantering back and forth and holding back light yawns when he strolled up to them, and as he approached they quieted and nodded at him in acknowledgment.

"Hi Ben, where have you been lately dude? No one's seen you in days."

"I've been in freaking Mamoreal for the last few days… holy crap I've never seen so much white. That woman's entire color scheme for her castle was silver and white. A little gold here and there but that's it… On the bright side, I got to meet Champion Alice and her husband."

"You were in _Mirana of Mamoreal's_ castle?!"

Ben turned to meet the awestruck face of Evie and the equally disgusted look on Mal's.

"Omigod I LOVE her gowns! Do you think she'd be willing to meet and share some tips?"

Mal sighed and rested a gloved hand on her forehead in annoyance, the early morning light glinting off some of her costume jewelry. As Evie spouted off an endless tirade of how much she adored Mirana's style and outfit choices, Ben got a chance to get his first glimpse of how Mal since the summer break. She wore a cherry red silk tank top under a thick black leather jacket with quilted patterns on the arms and black leather pants with double pockets, her feet were clad in black leather stiletto 'bootie' heels with open toes.

Around her neck was a gold necklace with a peridot necklace the same color of her eyes when they glow with magic, the same necklace he had made for her as an apology for 'Going beast on her'. Her vibrant rose-colored hair had been left loose and free-flowing down her back and her makeup had been kept simple, yet natural. Mascara and eyeliner were used on her eyes while dark red lipstick coated her plump lips, dark purple nail polish with mini black dragons decorated her nails.

"E, you wanna tone down the volume or am I gonna have to find the mute button?"

The light sarcasm made everyone smile, lately, it had seemed like they were all taking their moods from Mal, if she was angry or tense so were the rest of the VK's. He didn't really understand why other than the fact that she was their leader on the Isle and that they had a level of respect/loyalty for her that even his own people didn't have for him, they'd called her 'Queen of the Isle' several times and until now he'd always thought it was a false title.

"Sorry Mal... I got a little excited."

"That was a_ little_?"

Evie blushed and retorted back at the teasing Mal, trying to ignore the two chortling boys beside them who were supposed to have had her back and helped her out. His watch began beeping to warn him of the nearing deadline, pulling him back into "Royal Ben Mode".

"Sorry guys but I've gotta get back, the limo should be here any minute, it contains the four new VK's from the Isle. Harry Hook, Gil Gaston, Dizzy Tremaine, and unfortunately Uma. I'm sorry Mal my father told me if I didn't bring her here he'd have her killed… And I know even though you don't like her, you wouldn't want her dead."

Mal stared at Ben in shock, not only was her worst enemy coming here, but so was someone she had been _craving _to see again since Ben had been kidnapped. She needed to get a handle on herself, she needed to put the cap back on her emotions before she blew up and she needed to do it _really_ _fucking quick_. Luckily Evie could read Mal like a book even if Ben couldn't, she quickly stepped forward and began reassuring him that it would be fine and that they could handle it. She requested they take the first day off to allow them to adjust to the new surroundings and new people, which he happily accepted and sent a notice to Fairy Godmother so she wouldn't panic when _none_ of her VK's showed up to class.

Still oblivious to Mal's internal war with herself, he gave her a quick kiss then headed toward his limo that was parked in the driveway, leaving the three VK's to deal with his mess of a situation and a steadily crumbling Queen of the Isle.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hey guys, me again. I wanted to let you know I scrapped the OC and took her out of the story. It didn't feel natural to me and It was too time-consuming to have to worry about how the main characters would feel about her rather than the actual story itself. _**

**_Again. I own nothing but the story. Damnit._**

_Chapter Two: Forgiving The Enemy_

**NORMAL POV**

As Ben left the gates of the school, Mal found it harder and harder to breathe. She was hyperventilating by the time Jay reached her, he pressed a cool, calloused hand to the small of her back and gently rubbed small circles into her skin until her breathing slowed to a more even pace. Evie watched her gently, mindful of how much might be deemed "too much" by Mal. Tonight their talk would have to be made, regardless of how it might affect their leader Evie knew she couldn't just sit by and watch her self-destruct anymore.

The VK's watched in horror as Mal bit back a strangled sob and pressed her hand to her mouth, their pillar of strength and stability had never looked more fragile and lost. Her face began paling rapidly and her eyes flashed such a vivid green that they barely had any time to back up before she lurched forward and coughed up a bit of stomach acid and blood, suddenly Jay moved and crouched in front of her, ripping off some of his shirt's edge and using it as a rag to wipe her mouth. Carlos was already behind her, his hand on her arm as an anchor so she didn't fall forward and into her own vomit and another in her hair to prevent any puke from getting caught in it, while Evie rooted around in her purse for her water bottle and a stash of pain pills for the impending headache.

"Jay, get her to our hangout. She needs to be away from everyone, I'll take care of the new VK's with Carlos."

"No."

Mal got to her back to her now-steady feet and took the bottle from Evie, she took a heavy gulp and spat the foul taste from her mouth and then popped two pills. Her hand went through her hair to allow it to resettle into its previous position, and with her mouth wiped clean and lipstick reapplied she looked normal. Her forest green eyes settled on Evie's nervous brown orbs and softened a little, a hand reaching out to give her a hug of reassurance.

"I'm alright, I'll explain later ok? I promise. I'll tell you everything."

Three heads nodded in agreement as a horn honked in warning, the same limo that had carried them on their first day pulled into the drive and immediately the four of them tensed, the air of insecurity and fragility that had radiated off Mal in waves was long gone, now a calm sense of power and control crackled around her like lightning. Evie spared a brief thought of concern over the duality of her emotions right now, how easily she seemed to switch between precarious on-the-verge-of-snapping vulnerability and an air of invincibility that rivaled that of her mother in her prime. Like Ben had surmised earlier, the other three VK's unwittingly drew their own power and confidence from Mal; Jay and Carlos stood taller and flexed to show the new muscle they'd gained from their athletic regimen, and Evie mimicked Mal's stance of 'calm but ready for battle'.

The door opened and Gil was the first to step out, his face was coated in chocolate and to their surprise, he wasn't dressed like a pirate or a VK fresh from the Isle. He wore a plain light brown long sleeve shirt with dark blue jeans and black hiking boots, he still had his triple tiered silver earrings though. His hair had been washed and even lightly trimmed before he'd gotten into the chocolate, it appeared that Ben had made arrangements to give the new kids a hotel night to allow clean clothes and a less threatening first appearance to Auradon.

"Hey guys! You want some chocolate? Stuffs great man!"

Jay and Carlos grinned and nudged each other, clearly remembering their first encounter with the intoxicating candy.

"Will ya move outta the way ya blithering idiot? Some of us don't enjoy your backside as a view!"

"Oh shit sorry Harry!"

Gil quickly scrambled away from the car before his friend could presumably shank him with the business end of his hook, and the other three new VK's piled out of the car. Dizzy made a bee-line toward Evie and Mal, assaulting them in a shockingly strong bear hug that threatened to choke the life out of their ribcages.

While Dizzy and Evie caught up, Mal looked over the other two.

Uma had changed since Cotillion, she'd cut her hair and dyed it to one solid color. Half her head had been shaved and the rest had been brushed over and the left side of her face, thick triangular earrings hung from her lobes and were nicely accented by her mother's necklace in an enchanted square case hung by a gold chain around her neck. Like Mal, she wore the same kind of pants and a turquoise blue vest under a long black Sea Captains coat with double buttons and black buckled ankle boots.

"Mal? Can we talk real quick? I got something I wanna say."

Immediately on edge, Mal turned toward a surprisingly nervous Uma and nodded. Leading her away from the group, aware of the only set of eyes burning holes in her back that she hadn't acknowledged yet, and turned toward her impatiently.

"Look I need to apologize for what happened with Ben… I… I'm really sorry for everything that I did to you. I just wanted out. We all did, we were so angry that you and the others were the only ones to get pulled out of that hell hole and that nobody else cared about the rest of us that we just couldn't take it anymore. We had planned to force Ben to bring down the barrier and let us all out and pass a bill to make it illegal to punish the kids of the villains for their parent's mistakes, but I couldn't stop. I saw you and I got so angry and all I could think of was _hurting_ you like you hurt the rest of us by abandoning everyone in that _hell_!"

By the time Uma had stopped her rant Mal had wrapped her in a tight, yet forgiving, hug.

She understood.

She didn't mind anymore.

Mal helped Uma dry the tears that had escaped and together they walked back to the group and with their leader's acceptance of Uma the other core three found no reason to be wary of her any longer, the Isle was merciless in it's breaking of children after all.

"Well now that the pleasantries are out of the way why don't we cut to the chase?"

Mal felt a shiver travel up her spine as she finally forced herself to look at the one male among them that she really didn't want to see under these circumstances, Harry Hook was dressed like a mixture of Jay and Carlos. He wore the same type of boots and shirt as Jay, but his color scheme was, as usual, red and black with gold accents. And like Carlos, he wore the exact same pants and jacket, but again, his clothes were in black and red. Around his neck was a thick silver chain with a miniature ship's wheel hanging against his chest, his left ear was pierced with a thing gold earring and his heavy eyeliner had been drastically reduced.

"Where's your hook, Harry?"

"The Fairy woman jacked it and said she'd give it back, along with all our other stuff, when she was done making it unusable. Little bitch."

Mal smiled and cocked her head for them to follow her inside, the rumble of her stomach reminding her that it was near breakfast time and like her, they were probably hungry.

"Come on, when she's done it'll be at our place. In the meantime, we'll show you around and get you some food."

The thought of food made them all smile and relax, Mal leads the group through the massive door to the entry hall and then down the left hallway to the massive Cafeteria, the core three mare their way to their normal table while Mal patiently waited for the new VK's to pile on as much food as their poor plates could handle; after gently reminding them that the food is _very _rich and while they allowed up to four plates each it would be wiser to eat one plate and then see how their stomachs feel afterward before forcing more food inside; once they were ready to sit down they headed over to the table to the other three could eat.

Mal and the others hadn't forgotten the unspoken rules of the Isle, friends would guard eating spaces to ensure no one's food or belongings were tampered with, or in extreme cases, that no other kids could be harmed if they couldn't defend themselves. Mal took the outer seat beside Uma and eventually Jay, Evie, and Carlos on the other side of the table. The new VK's were nestled between them in an obviously protective fashion, with the more hostile two in the back between Mal and Evie.

About halfway through the meal, Mal caught a glimpse of a familiar set of faces heading their way, Lonnie and Jane were walking quickly over to them, mindful of their potentially volatile Isle friends.

Jane had blossomed over the summer, she no longer looked plain and homely. Her hair had gained volume and had grown to chest length before being allowed to tumble and fall where it pleased, her figure had even leveled out and gained a more prominent hour-glass shape to it. Today she wore a deep red cotton skirt with a white turtleneck sweater and a pair of black lace-up stiletto heels, around her neck was a silver three heart necklace given to her by Carlos and a pair of pale pink teardrop earrings hung half-hidden from inside her hair.

Lonnie had also filled out more over the summer, and surprisingly, she was sporting some pretty detailed body art. Her right arm bore the detailed and colored in the form of a Chinese dragon with a solid black outline, a surprising sight for someone who's just barely reaching sixteen. She was dressed much more tomboyishly than Jane, sporting a simple pair of black jean shorts and a sheer dark blue button-up t-shirt over a black tank top and wedge heels. Her long raven-feather hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and her face was left bare of makeup aside from light lipgloss and mascara, pink and black feather earrings adorned her ears and complimented her gold necklace nicely, the triple strands adding a sense of feminine class to the otherwise boyish look.

"Jay! What the hell did you get Lonnie into!? I expect body art from YOU but _her_? Holy shit girl do your parents know?"

Lonnie laughed while Jay choked on his food and attempted to breathe despite the food entering his lungs, Mal and Evie inspected Lonnie's arm and blanched when they saw the incredible detail that had gone into the tattoo.

"My parents paid for it. It was a birthday present for helping to save Ben and Auradon and still ace my finals, my parents also let me get two ravens on my right hip. I'd show you that one but… Not exactly the right place or time for that."

They all smiled and laughed at the dirty joke, even innocent little Jane and Dizzy. Harry didn't seem to pay any attention to the two newcomers, but the other VK's knew that wasn't the case in the slightest. He was watching his surroundings the way a hawk does a field mouse, waiting for the perfect time to strike. The girls took their places beside their respective partners, even 'sneakily' taking bites of their food here and there despite their own plates sitting in front of them.

It wasn't long before the 'Wanna-Be-Queen-Bee' of Auradon Prep got wind of the newbies and decided to "_Grace them with her appearance_".

A groan from Evie was their only warning before Audrey suddenly stood right beside Mal, scaring the daylights out of her and making her realize she wasn't really paying as much attention to her surroundings as she thought she was.

"Soo… How'd you manage to convince Ben to let more of you into Auradon? Sexual Favors? Spells?"

Temper flaring, Mal leveled lightening green eyes on Audrey, who didn't seem to notice her rapidly growing irritation or the crackle of magic that was begging to be released around her.

And if she did notice, good for her, that meant she had one hell of a poker face.

The other core three VK's eyed Mal warily, causing the newcomers to tense, her earlier instability hadn't been forgotten and they were concerned what would happen if _Audrey _of all people pushed her too close to the edge.

"Audrey I wouldn't… We're supposed to keep today as stress-free as possible for them and-"

"Oh, my bad! I guess I shouldn't bring up how nobody here likes you, _people_, anyway and how we all wish you'd go back to the fucking Isle where you belong?"

Harry tensed, bending his fork in his hand as easily as if it were made of cardboard and not steel. Unfortunately for her, this also caught Audrey's attention and the new 'hottie' made her switch to "Conquest mode".

"Well hello there handsome… Who might you be?"

She swayed over to Harry and stood behind him, not caring how he tensed visibly and delighting to see Mal flare up and her eyes flash. Evie looked nervously over to Carlos and nodded to Dizzy, who immediately was ushered away from the table and shown the sweets table by both him and Gil to protect her from any fists that might go flying. Uma and Jay watched Harry just as warily as Evie watched Mal, who was digging her nails into her legs so hard her knuckles were white.

"Audrey… I'm serious. You really don't want to do that."

"Shut up Evie. Can't you see I'm talking to the hunky pirate here?"

That's when Audrey made her mistake, she put her hand on Harry.

Harry Hook had three very well known rules on the Isle of the Lost that applied to everyone but a few of his select friends; you didn't touch him without permission, you didn't eat his food without permission, and you didn't make a move on any of his 'friends' without his permission.

Breaking any of these rules was grounds to have you gutted like a fish where you stood.

Harry moved so fast the others from the Isle barely had time to react, he stood and grabbed Audrey by the throat, slamming her up against the wall and squeezing as hard as he could while he could. Jay and Uma were on him first, trying to pull him away from Audrey while Mal and Evie tried to pry his hand off her throat long enough for her to breathe or run. Growling, Mal turned and grabbed Harry's face in her hands, forcing him to stare her in the eyes.

She reached for her magic and began a battle of wills with him.

Dominance battles were nothing new to the two of them, but it was a totally different story when it came to her having to use magic on him. It was like a mental game of Tug-of-War, whoever pulls hardest wins. She could hear Audrey slapping the wall in panic, and as she lost focus, she lost the game. Gasping in shock and minor fear at losing her own game of wills, she stared up at Harry mutely as he glared down at her.

Silently, he dropped Audrey.

Then he turned and stalked down the hall to the forest he'd seen when they arrived at the school.

"Mal? You ok?"

She felt herself nod dumbly as her mind slowly caught up to what just happened, then as the reality slammed home she felt herself begin to pale. She'd lost a dominance battle… with _HARRY FUCKING HOOK. _Oh no… Oh no, this was bad. Very bad.

"Ummm. Evie… Evie can you come with me, please. Like now?"

Startled by the panic in her tone Evie quickly allowed Mal to pull her to the side.

"We have a very serious problem. I tried to get Harry to let go of Audrey with a Battle of Wills. I tried to assert Dominance over Harry and I lost."

Evie paled.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey guys, BlackRose999 here! Just wanted to apologize for how late this story was, I had a horrid migraine and then we went to see Endgame and that delayed it further. But now its up and we can continue the story! Hope you enjoy it!**_

_**Love ya!**_

_Chapter Three: Dancing With the Devil_

**MAL POV**

* * *

Evie, Uma, and Mal had left Jay and Carlos to finish the tour, the three older females were now holed up in Mal and Evie's dorm with the rosette sitting on her bed in terror. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have done something so reckless as to challenge _Harry Hook_ when she's so emotionally unstable? Now he has the upper hand… worse… now he has _dominance_. On the Isle, dominance over another person could be a blessing or it could be fatal. For Mal, it was both. She missed the way Harry would control and dominate her on the Isle, she missed the way he would look at her with such power that it would almost make her come undone right then and there. But here in Auradon, it could get him killed, if people found out about how much power he had over Mal they would use that to their advantage to try and manipulate Ben.

Through her, they could topple the entire kingdom.

"Mal? Come out of your head, talk to us."

"I'm such an idiot… I knew better! With everything, that's been going on between Ben and I-I shouldn't have even_ attempted_ to-!"

Evie held up her hands in a T-like fashion, her expression was both confused and concerned.

"What do you mean? What's up with you and Ben?"

"Yeah, I thought you and the King were perfect together."

Mal barked out a humorless laugh, tears pricking her eyes.

"We're not! We barely talk let alone see each other! Our relationship is so fake and plastic that I feel like I don't exist unless it's for press and Social Affairs! I returned his ring _MONTHS_ ago and he hasn't even noticed! I feel so trapped and hopeless that I can't even breathe sometimes, a night I go down to the sea to go underwater and just scream where no one can hear me or cry where the waves drown me out. And then this morning when Ben told me Harry was coming here I felt so scared and happy, I missed him _so much_ and I couldn't show any part of how much I felt when Ben was taken!"

Mal gulped a breath and wiped her eyes, finally feeling some of the weight lifting off of her shoulders.

"And the worst part is that I don't miss Ben at all! I wish I did but I don't! I don't think I ever really loved him at all, I think I cared about him but that I saw him as a stand-in for Harry. I love Harry, I always have. Oh god Evie what am I going to do? What am I going to say to Ben? 'Hey sorry for all the stuff you bought me and the times you almost died for me but I'm going to run off with the guy who tried to kill you because my heart hurts'?"

Uma was the first to speak, surprising both Mal and Evie.

"Yes. That exactly what you're going to tell him. Why lie? You don't love Ben, even if you did back then you _clearly _don't now. And believe it or not but Harry missed you like crazy when you left. He wasn't himself for almost a year and a half after you flitted off for Auradon Prep with the rest of your gang, he was so angry and explosive. I swear he'd pick fights just to have an excuse to shed some tears over you leaving for Auradon, he even got a dragon's silhouette tattoo on his back so he would always have a piece of you with him. He _begged _me, to let him hook Ben when I kidnapped him."

Uma paused thoughtfully for a second, before pointing at Mal.

"Have I apologized for that yet by the way? 'Cause seriously that really wasn't one of my best moments… And to be honest I _really_ want to find a way to erase everyone's memories of that. You wouldn't happen to have any nifty little mind-spells would you?"

Mal and Evie both burst out laughing, the rosette falling back onto her bed clutching her favorite dark purple satin pillow with black ivy designs stitched into it. Uma leaned back into Evie's favorite chair, smiling to herself at how expertly she'd lightened their mood.

"But seriously Mal quit beatin' yourself up for falling out of love halfway through high school. Plenty of people do it. Nobody's got any room to judge you, and even less of them have the right to give you any crap about loving someone else while you're still with Ben. Now as for the Dominance issue, I think if you give Harry half the chance, he might be willing to be a little more discreet than he would be on the Isle."

Mal blushed as she remembered how often Dominance battles on the Isle occurred, and how often the price of losing a battle could be devastating. A knock on the door pulled Mal out of her thoughts, and Evie quickly stood to open it. Lonnie and Jane stood on the other side of the door, surprised to find all three of the elder VK females in their friend's room.

"Jay and Carlos said we could find you here, they said you could probably use some girl talk."

Uma gives them a positively (and possibly unintentionally) terrifying smirk and hurries over to them, quickly pulling the startled teens inside and slamming the door shut.

"She definitely could, so tell me, _princesses_, what do you guys know about Dominance here in Auradon?"

Mal and Evie scurry over to Uma in an attempt to cover her mouth and silence her, but the damage was done. Lonnie looked confused and _very _interested as to where this conversation was about to head, and poor Jane looked so terrified that her face was a very unflattering mix of scarlet red and ash gray. Like she couldn't decide whether she should puke or faint.

"Uma what are you _thinking!?_ This is Auradon! If word gets around that Mal lost a Dominance Battle with Harry, especially while she's still Ben's Lady, it could screw things up really bad for Ben's ascension to the throne! Not to mention it could cause serious problems for bringing in more VK's from the Isle if certain people found out how Dominance worked on the Isle."

"I know I'm probably not supposed to know… but what do you mean by 'Dominance Battle'?"

Evie and Uma paused their fervent whispered argument at Jane's question, looking just as surprised as Mal and Lonnie. While she hadn't been there very long, Uma had a gift with reading people and had (correctly) guessed that Jane was the most innocent and childlike of the group. Mal sat up and crossed the room in three strides, taking Jane's hand in hers.

"Jane… Trust me. It's not pretty… It can be beautiful. Or it can be awful. Are you sure you really want to know?"

"No. But I need to. I'm tired of being kept out of the loop because of my mom being the literal epitome of goodness, I'm book smart, yes, but I'm not street smart in the slightest and I'm sick of it. I love Carlos and I know nothing of his world, that needs to stop. And it needs to stop now."

The three VK's all nodded to each other, a silent agreement to allow the two girls this would-be-well-guarded secret.

"Dominance Battles are a common thing on the Isle of the Lost, it's kind of like a Tug-of-War using magic, or in most cases muscle. The winner would gain total control over the loser until they lost the next dominance battle between them and their victim, or until they were killed. Mal initiated a battle with Harry Hook this morning in the cafeteria when he was choking Audrey, and she lost. Because she used magic, she is now unable to ever say no to him. He can literally mind-lock her into doing anything he tells her to do, he could make her walk off a cliff if he felt like it… Or worse."

By the time Evie had finished explaining how it worked, Jane and Lonnie looked mortified.

"You mean… Sexual stuff. Don't you?"

"That and more. Even if she didn't want to, she'd want to because he could tell her she did and that would be the truth. Powerful villains have been reduced to absolute child's play because of ties to someone else… Dominance in the hands of the wrong people is bad news, fortunately for us, Harry is all kinds of crazy about Mal. He's been hers since before you guys even knew we existed. Shoulda saw his face when he found out Ben was dating her in Auradon, and then it was the Coronation… and then Cotillion… and-"

Mal held up a hand and grimaced, hoping to staunch to flow of 'How much Harry loves Mal' while she could.

"Uma we get it, Harry's a stalker."

That broke the horrifying tension, the five women couldn't help but laugh. Lonnie and Jane were almost dying with how red their faces were, both were clutching their sides and howling as they tried to breathe. Jane was the first to recover, daintily wiping under her eyes with the pad of her index finger to preserve her eye makeup.

"So Mal, how are you going to go about this?"

Mal sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, mulling over her options.

"I don't know… But I'll have to discuss it with Harry, tonight."

The other four women just winced.

* * *

**HARRY POV**

* * *

Harry couldn't believe his luck, here he was in the land of boundless opportunities, with the woman of his dreams (literally), and she had bound herself to him through Dominance of all things. He could feel the strength of her magic running through the blood in his veins, it felt like a maelstrom was running through him, lighting up his molecules and nerve endings with pleasant feelings of tingling sensations.

Harry imagined at this is must be how Mal felt constantly, but on a greater scale.

He reached for the magic within him and frowned when nothing happened, nothing moved or floated, caught fire or began to freeze or even get wet. No crack of lightning or even a sudden upkick of wind… Damnit. He was hoping for some kind of abilities… Why'd Mal get all the fun?

After the rosette had spoiled his fun (and then made his fucking _year_) with the brunette whore, he'd found himself out in the woods by the school. Not surprising, he enjoyed nature. There was scarce little of it on the Isle unless you counted the sea that surrounded them, then there was plenty of nature. You just couldn't fucking touch 90% of it. '_Thank you, Shit Kings of Old,' _ Harry thought venomously, '_For dooming everyone else for the sins of a few prickish villains. Very wise of you.' _ But his foul mood cleared up very quickly as his mind traveled back to the shocked and slightly terrified look on _his_ girl's face when she realized exactly what she'd done, oh yes, she was his now wasn't she?

Poor Ben… He was in for quite the shocker.

The sound of waves crashing against rock caught his attention, the sirens call of the open sea pulling him to the hidden beach that was obviously just ahead. To his surprise, a familiar head of rose-colored hair already stood on the white sands. Mal stood staring out to sea, not realizing Harry was sneaking up behind her until the sand shifted and hit the back of her legs. Whirling to smack whoever dared sneak up behind her, she was shocked to find the danger-filled blue eyes of Harry as he gripped her wrist moments before her hand reached his face.

"Not a good idea to strike me lass, I might like it."

He enjoyed the scowl that spread across her face, and the flair of defiance against his hold on her. Oh, sweet merciful _Gods_, he'd missed her! The soft brogue of his Irish accent always making her shiver with a bit of need, a wanton desire that she'd never been able to shake, even when she'd had him all to herself back on the Isle all those years ago.

"Don't be disgusting Harry, we need to talk about this. I-"

Anger flashed through him before he could think to suppress it, and he had his hand around her through seconds before she realized his intentions. How dare she brush him off so easily? He's dreamed of this for _years_! He's wanted to feel her wrapped around him like a second skin as he takes her again and again while she begs for release, he wanted to hear her say his name with an _ounce_ of the same love she'd held for him _three fucking years ago_ before that stupid boy-lion had _**stolen her away from him**_ and twisted her mind into believing she loved HIM instead of _**her Harry**_!

"Did you think, for one_ fucking second_, I'll give up the chance to have you again? You're _**MINE**_ Maleficent, you have always belonged with me. Benny-Boy doesn't even know you does he? I bet he thinks you're as happy as he is, but I know better. _**I see you Mal**_. I see _everything_ you think you _**hide so fucking well**_!"

Realizing he was choking her and that her eyes were a startling magic-induced shade of jade green, he quickly let her go. He could feel himself vibrating with rage and… something else. Something unknown, new and incredibly intoxicating. His eyes were burning now, he knew they weren't burning with tears since his face wasn't wet, but they did feel like they were made of molten coals. Mal was kneeling on the sand, one hand on her throat as she tried to soothe her ragged breaths. He felt a little bad, he didn't like seeing her hurt, unless she asked him to hurt her of course.

But she only asked for that in the privacy of a bedroom… Well, she did when she was on the Isle.

"I'm not letting you out of this so easy Maleficent, I intend to keep you as long as I can… god save anyone who tries taking you from me. I won't put up with it this time love, this is your one and only warning."

Harry turned and began walking away from her, heading back toward the school with the intention of finding his new dorm and taking a good long shower and a nap, but a familiar laugh made him pause.

"Good… I don't want you to let me go. I don't want you to break Dominance. But for the sake of the kingdom I need you to be discreet in public, in private I don't care what you do to me. Hurt me, touch me, I don't care! Ben doesn't love me and I _don't_ love him! Not anymore! Our relationship is so fake and posed that the only reason I'm still in it is because if I leave him I could cost Ben his Crown! That's it! I haven't worn his ring in months Harry! I don't love him anymore!... But I do still love you."

Harry had slowly been making his way back over to her as she spoke, trying to find a way to believe what he was hearing, it was too good to be true. He's been dreaming of her for so long, please god don't let him still be dreaming now. At her declaration of love he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her the way he'd wanted to a year ago on the Isle before Cotillion, when she'd shown up at Dizzy's looking like the warrior queen she was and smelling of blood and jasmine. He kissed her like she was air and he was drowning, claiming her lips and leaving them puffy and abused with the force of his love for her.

He spared a thought for taking her here, for bringing her to a much-desired orgasm here in the open air by the sea. But decided against it. Instead, he'd wait, he'd find a secret place, a hidden place for them to meet and be free to show their love with damaging others or the kingdom since she was still Ben's Lady.

Until then he'd torment and tease her until she begged him, until she pleaded for him to give her what she wanted.

Slowly he pulled away from her, smirking at the pouty expression on her face.

"Best go before I change my mind and parade you around like a prize trophy on a leash love, a man can only hold himself back for so long."

Her mischevious smirk and a devilish gleam in her eyes told him Mal just might enjoy that just as much as he would.

Naughty minx...


	4. Chapter 4

**_Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, I had a REALLY bad cold and then we had company over last night so I had to wait to upload today. My bad! But anyway, side note: THIS CHAPTER HAS EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT. Proceed at your own risk. _**

**_As always, I own nothing but the story... Damnit. _**

**_LOVE YA!_**

* * *

_Chapter Three: Kissing And Maybe Telling _

**NORMAL POV**

_~ Time Skip: One Month Later ~_

After the two of them had spoken, it became obvious to anyone who looked at Mal for longer than a glance to see that she was definitely Happier. Her eyes shone with a familiar sparkle of mirth and she seemed to laugh easier, the VK's all knew, of course, it didn't take a genius to see the possessive way Harry watched her or the dominant glimmer that flashed in his eyes when he spoke with Mal. To the other's amazement, Harry was always cordial in public, never seeking her out or taking his gleeful control of her too far, but always finding subtle ways to remind her that he was there.

That he was watching.

If the VK's weren't aware of how much Mal loved it they might have found his actions incredibly creepy, a great deal of them still did but they weren't going to destroy the power couple's newfound happiness. The only two Auradon kids that knew of what was going on between the pirate and the King's Lady proved to be _excellent _secret-keepers, speaking only vaguely about it to the VK's in their hideaway cabin Ben had gifted them after Cotillion to obtain a more definitive understanding of what it meant to be Dominant and if in theory it could work on those born from Auradon.

Jay and Carlos were a smidge concerned about that one since it was possible the girls could ask to try out the dominance thing in their relationships and since they were not exactly comfortable with it, they were worried it could put a strain on their happiness and put an end to a very good thing well before it's due time.

The four newest VK's had settled easily into their new lives at Auradon, and much to everyone's surprise Uma had shown to be a very loving and protective roommate when it came to Dizzy Tremaine, going so far as staying up with her and helping her with homework and helping her study for tests. On several occasions she'd put a stop to any bullying the minute she'd found out about it by beating the crap out of the poor unfortunate soul who'd dared mess with her and Evie's "little sister", spending many an evening in Fairy Godmother's rooms serving detention for fighting, who kindly kept the reports of the fights out of her permanent record because it was to put an end to the bullying of a ten-year-old girl.

Harry and Gil also ended up as roommates, Gil ended up being recruited for the school's Tourney team and Harry was added to the R.O.A.R. Swords and Shields Team to replace a leaving senior. Life seemed to be settling into a nice and easy pace for the students, they were happy and enjoying their lives at Auradon.

But unknown to them, things were about to take a drastic turn toward chaos.

Evie and Mal had just finished their homework for the weekend and were struggling to figure out what to do, no one had any games or practices scheduled this weekend except for Dizzy (who had Art Club with Fairy Godmother) so for once all the elder VK's had time to hang out, and with the weather growing cooler it would soon be too frigid to explore the woods around the school without getting frostbite or hypothermia. Eventually, they planned out a hike, there were some caves out in the woods and they figured it'd be a neat activity that didn't involve magic or vandalism.

Now they just need to convince their friends.

"You want us to go on a hike in this weather? You're off your head lass! It's bloody cold out! You'll catch yer death!"

Mal could barely contain her laughter as Harry tried very hard to contain his Scottish accent from completely consuming his ability to coherently speak to the rest of the group, although he was getting more worked up over the fact that Mal's infectious laughter was quickly contaminating the rest of their friends.

"_**D'nae act like there's sommat funny wit' freezin' ye're arsed off Maleficent!**_"

The tone and harshness of his brogue stopped her laughter immediately, her forest green eyes tentatively meeting the glowing ice-blue orbs of Harry's own furious ones.

"I wasn't laughing about the possibility of getting hurt, Harry…"

"Oh _aye_ an I 'spose next ye're goin' teh tell me the skies 'er blue because we live underwater!"

Mal spared a brief thought of the possible logic behind that, but she still was treading in very dangerous waters here and the last thing she needed was Harry to assert dominance in front of everyone.

"Harry I'm serious, I was laughing because your accent is back. It's almost impossible to understand you when you're upset because your brogue takes over and gives you a very thick speech impediment."

"Harry she's serious, I've told you that several times back on the ship."

Uma spoke up from her perch beside the fireplace, leveling deep brown eyes on him. The VK's had been hanging out in their cabin more and more as the colder weather bore down on them, the homey feeling never failing to make them all relax. Of course, the friends and significant others of the VK's were allowed into the cabin, but other than that nobody else was. Lonnie sat beside Jay (who was against the arm of the couch) with her back against his right shoulder, allowing his arm to wrap around her waist comfortably. Carlos and Jane mirrored them on the opposite side, allowing Evie and Mal to sit between them on the five-cushion leather couch.

Gil sat opposite to Uma in the other Captains chair beside the fireplace, his hands around a steaming mug of hot cocoa with whipped cream on top. The cabin itself was very nice, it didn't have any bedrooms so it was relatively small, but it still had a large bathroom and a cozy well-stocked kitchenette and a flat-screen above the fireplace. The couch and chairs were in the exact middle of the room while still leaving ample space to maneuver about, between the door and the tv, with the Kitchen and the bathroom on either side of the cabin, a massive fuzzy grey-black rug sitting under their feet a safe distance away from the flames. The lights were dimmable and there was an AC unit aside from the fireplace for the summer, and with it being a thirty-minute trek from the school into the secluded woods, they were very happy.

"Harry drop the magic, you don't need to use dominance right now. This is a nice conversation. Right?"

Harry scowled at Uma from his spot against the lit fireplace, but reluctantly let go of the magic that still felt like tigers running wild through his blood, the group let out a breath of relief as the glow in his eyes dimmed and died. Mal smiled as she felt herself relax, the feeling of his magic-enforced dominance leaving her.

"Harry we'd be fine, we'll all dress warmly and pack all essentials, including snacks and basic medical supplies. The caves aren't that far from the school so we'd only be gone for about an hour or two, maybe three if we want to explore before hiking back. We'd inform Fairy Godmother of our trip before we left so if we need help they'd know where to find us, and Mal can always use magic to get someone's attention if we really need it. We'll be safe."

Harry growled but grudgingly agreed, allowing them to finish planning the trip and get everything in order. As they were all leaving to head back to the dorm, Harry took the opportunity and threw his arm around Mal's shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"I don't like this Mal. I'm worried. I've got one of those gut feelings I used to get back on the Isle that something's gonna go the wrong way lass…"

"We'll be surrounded by friends, what could go wrong?"

Harry stopped her and held her by the arm, shaking her a bit.

"Don't you say that! There's a lot that could go wrong Mal! You know that as well as I do, saying shit like that is just begging for trouble!"

"Harry I know I'll be fine, because you're going to be there. And I know if anything were to happen, _ which it won't_, you'll make sure I'll be ok and safe in your arms afterward."

She watched him smile and beam at the faith she had in him, then the urge to fuck with him just couldn't be ignored. She kissed his cheek and turned to catch up to the rest of the group, then slyly called over her shoulder, "You're too selfish to let me die."

"Selfish?"

His footsteps pick up as he gives chase behind her, grabbing her from behind and eliciting a squeal of mock fright. He wrapped his fingers in her hair and pulled her head back to allow him access to her neck, making her moan as he peppered the soft flesh with bites and hot kisses. Harry's hands wandered up her body from behind, cupping her breasts and gently massaging them.

"...Harry… We can't do this here…"

"Then let's go back to the cabin, where it's dark and the door can be locked."

She didn't want to cheat on Ben, she really didn't, but Ben didn't love her the way Harry did. And she didn't love Ben anyway, not that it was any justification for what she was about to do. Grabbing him by the hand she pulled Harry back toward the cabin and away from the lights of the Academy, they were frantic as their tongues grappled and fought for dominance. Clothing began to get ripped off as the door closed and locked behind them and thrown haphazardly across the room, uncared for of it's landing places.

"Let me light that fire love, it's cold here and I want to see you when I take you."

"Hurry."

He grinned and made his way over to the fireplace, adding wood and getting it going while Mal shoved the table back against the couch to give them more room and throwing a blanket or two down for added warmth and comfort. She stripped out of her clothes as he got the fire settled and the grate back into place to protect them against sparks, and as he turned he caught sight of the rosette temptress lit by fire with desire-burned eyes.

"Gods I love Auradon…"

He was on her then, pulling her to him and claiming her mouth with feverish kisses. Mal's hands worked to rid him of his shirt as he let his skilled fingers roam up and down her underwear-clad body, once his shirt was gone and his pants and shoes had followed suit he lowered her onto the blanketed rug. They kissed and touched, fleeting fingers and heavy moans as they ditched the rest of the barriers between them, a nervous blue gaze begged for permission before she kissed him and guided him into her.

The pain was nothing new, she'd forgotten how delicious the burn of a man's length inside her felt. On the Isle sex was sex, virginity wasn't sacred unless someone had something you wanted or you were lucky enough to give it to someone you liked at the time, and Harry had been her first. He was gentle at first, but soon his own love for brutality and pain overrode any desire to make her comfortable. The icy-blue fire in his eyes was back as he reached for his Dominance over her, coaxing out the familiar jade glow of her own magic.

"_I'm gonna hurt ye nauw luv, d'nae fight me..._"

A soft whimper of agreement was her only reply as her hips rolled against his again, sending a fresh wave of pleasure into her system. His hand clasped across her throat and squeezed tight, cutting off her air as his pace quickened. White orbs danced across her vision as she gazed up at the love of her life with nothing but absolute trust, he could kill her right here and she'd be fine with it. His hand slowly let up on her neck, gradually letting her have air again. And as she was too busy sucking in precious oxygen he grabbed the knife from his pocket, flicking it open he slowed his movements to the point where he was barely moving at all. The blade was sharp, he'd polished and sharpened it this morning in fact, but he remembered how much she'd loved the threat of danger back on the Isle.

The blade was running gently down her inner legs, close to her inner lips and over her stomach, under the swell of her breasts and the underside of her arms. Each touch of the blade seemed to bring her closer and closer to the edge as she moaned and whimpered, suddenly he pulled the blade away from Mal's skin and began pounding into her, making her scream in pleasure and she clung to him. A sharp smack filled the room as a red mark began to appear on the side of her hip, as his rhythm rose to a more fervent pace he forced her to ride him. Slamming up into her and groaning as his own release came ever closer, her nails dug deep into his back as her head lolled, tears springing to her eyes as her orgasm finally claimed her. As he felt her walls clamp down hard around his length, he let out a strangled groan as he finally came. Pumping into her a few more times, he slowly eased them both back down onto the blanket to catch their breaths.

"Ye're still takin' those pills aren't ye?"

"Of course.. They're not just for sex you know…"

"Good.. 'Cause I d'nae think about a rubber till twas too late."

Mal laughed and laid her head on his chest, smirking up at him through half-lidded eyes.

"Guess I should be worried about little Hook bastards on the Isle then huh? I was gone for some time."

"Jealous already eh? Naw, ye don't hafta worry about that. I was careful. Only littlin's I want in this lifetime are with your love…"

That got Mal's attention fairly quickly, monogamy wasn't common on the Isle, in fact, it was almost frowned upon. Everybody was so focused on going after their own pleasure and their own gains that they simply didn't have the time or patience to cultivate a healthy relationship with someone else, so if you could get your rocks off with someone else then that was a bonus.

Less work for them to keep you happy.

But Harry wanting kids with her also implied marriage, and she wasn't sure about that yet. Harry was her Soulmate, she knew this for damn sure. It was evident in the way her heart cried out for him every day since she'd forsaken his love and was ripped from the Isle, it was made clearer still in the way he so easily made her weak at the knees and hungry for his touch. Ben never made Mal feel this way, what they'd had was a Platonic Crush she'd mistaken as so much more in her blind attempt to rid herself of the sleepless tear-filled nights wasted staring out to sea thinking of home.

Nothing more.

"Harry.. I don't know if I'm the marrying type…"

He smiled down at her, sitting up slightly and rubbing his thumb soothingly over her bare hip.

"Oh I know Mal, don't worry. I don't intend to force you to do nothin' you don't already want to do. But I'm already yours Mal… Even got the ink to prove it. There's nobody else on this stupid planet for me but your hot-tempered self, and there never will be."

"Oh, that's right... Uma said you'd gotten a tattoo for me. Can I see it?"

Exasperation filled his face as he glowered at her, prompting her to giggle and put on her 'What me? I'm innocent' face.

"I go and tell ya that sappy beauty there and all you focus on is that damn tattoo… Honestly, woman you really are a ball-buster…"

"Oh shut up and turn around you filthy pirate!"

The design was simple yet stunningly beautiful. It covered the length of his back and even crawled up the back of his neck and over the tops of his shoulders, the dragon was done in a solid jet-black silhouette, with its tail curled slightly over his right hip. The wings stopped just under the sides of his arms and the claw-tips sat perfectly symmetrical to either collarbone, the two large horns stopped just under his hairline which allowed the head of the dragon to sit evenly between the space of his neck and shoulders without making the design seem too squished. At the bottom, beside the lower points of its wings read "HAIL TO THE QUEEN" in big bold lettering, written in top-to-bottom format.

"Well… Guess you really do belong to me."


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hey guys! BlackRose here, alive and well. Sorry about the hiatus, but I've had a pretty stressful year so far and with me going to COLLEGE soon, it'll get a bit more hectic, I was also battling a pretty bad condition called CDM (Chronic Daily Migraines) that I'm now under strict medications for, so I'm hoping it'll help me write more often. But again, no promises. _**

**_I CAN promise I'll try though, a brief NOTICE: I found a way to write using AUTHENTIC SCOTTISH since Harry Hooks actor is of Scottish descent, so I apologize if it's difficult to read. I tried to make it easier to read by switching too-difficult words with English ones, if you'd rather I switch back to the way I was writing his Scottish before then tell me. _**

**_Much love, _**

**_~ BlackRose999_**

* * *

_Chapter Four: The Pirate VS The King_

Harry and Mal had silently made their way back to the Academy after their little romp in the cottage before just before Fairy Godmother began her rounds for Curfew, bestowing quick discreet kisses upon each other before heading to their separate dorms. Unaware of the cleverly hidden eyes of someone who intended them great harm, but not yet. The rosette slipped into her dorm as quietly as she could, hoping to the gods that Evie was asleep in her bed, unfortunately for her it appeared luck was no longer on her side. _'Capricious bitch…' _ Mal thought to herself bitterly.

"Mal! Where have you been?! It's half an hour past curfew!"

Evie hissed at her from her spot in front of her mannequin, her tape measure still hanging from her neck. She crossed the room and gave her best friend a once-over with startlingly perceptive eyes.

"... Mal? Why are you flushed… and why is your hair so messy?"

Mal quickly ran her hand through her hair in an attempt to save her appearance a bit, then cursed as Evie's eyes widened as her neck was left unhidden from her hair.

"Holy Hell Mal what happened to-... your… neck. Oh my god."

"Evie no _shut up_."

"_You SLEPT with HOOK?!_"

"_SSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!_"

Mal quickly covered Evie's mouth, the absolute panic she was currently engulfed in was written all over her face. While the door was closed and most Auradon kids might be sleeping already, it wasn't unheard of for some to stay up late and game or study for upcoming tests.

And if someone had heard Evie's shout it could ruin them all.

"Seven Circles of Hell E, are you fucking _INSANE_? What if someone heard you!? I could cost Ben everything if the wrong person got ahold of that information, for fuck's sake I could cost him his _crown_ Evie!"

A wince flitted across the bluenette's perfectly porcelain face, before she apologetically lowered her voice to a murmur.

"I should ask you the same question Mal, if you know the dangers and you know what could happen, why go through with it? Why throw someone else's life away for your own happiness?"

Shock and hurt filled Mal as she pushed herself back out of Evie's reach. Disbelief filled her to her core, her best friend had never been this brutally honest with her before, sure she'd nudged and pushed Mal in the right direction to allow her to come to the harsh reality herself more than a few times, but she'd never outright asked her something as cruel as this.

"You _told me_ to give up on Ben! You told me that if Harry made me happy then I should be with him until I could talk to Ben about breaking up! That all I had to do was be careful about it! Where the hell do you get the balls to come at me like that after _encouraging me_ to cheat on Ben?"

Evie's eyes flashed, their normally pale brown color shifting to a startling burned chocolate as her temper flared.

"I _never_ told you to cheat on Ben! _Uma_ told you to do that! Had you had the fucking _courtesy _of asking me how I _actually felt_ about it instead of letting your new best friend tell you what to do, you might have known that!"

Mal felt the anger drained out of her just as quickly as it had appeared, Evie was right. She _hadn't _asked her how she felt, she _hadn't_ asked her for her advice. What right does she have to be angry at all with the bluenette? In traded places, Mal would've felt replaced and unneeded too.

"E… I'm so sorry. You're right, I didn't ask you how you felt and I should have. You've never lied to me or done anything to hurt me… And all I've ever done is the opposite. I shouldn't have slept with Harry… But Evie I can't be with Ben anymore. He's so clueless about how miserable I am, I don't even think he knows I hate him."

The rosette sorceress felt the blood drain from her face as she realized what she'd just said and the gravity of the way it affected both her and Evie, she hadn't even realized she actually had come to hate him romantically until she'd absent-mindedly said it. Evie stared at her best friend in blatantly agonized indecision; on the one hand, she had her Queen, the woman who was her closest confidant and the person who had protected her as they'd grown up together on the ever-unstable Isle of The Lost; and on the other she had the current ruler of the land she now loved with every portion of her soul, a man who could easily send her back to the Isle with a single pen stroke if angered.

She was torn between ensuring her own future and life and protecting her friend.

"Mal... Ben could send us back. If he's pissed enough he could send us, _all of us_, back to the Isle, and let the people there just rot."

"He wouldn't do that Evie, no matter how pissed at me he may get he's seen how bad the conditions on the Isle are, I don't think he'd do that to us. He's not that chauvinistic. He won't take his rage out on anyone else but me and Harry."

Mal hugged her friend and helped her into her own bed, before sitting beside her and petting her hair hypnotically. It wasn't long before a soft snore came from Evie, and a familiar feeling of power snaked up her body the way a spider scuttled across bare skin. In the dark of the room, peridot green eyes flashed as they glowered menacingly at the door to their room, a terrifying sight to someone who wasn't expecting it.

"And if he does I'll kill him."

She felt the magic inside her bubble and boil as her promise surged forward, waking Harry as the magic he'd stolen from her when they became a Dominant Pair stirred to life. He would know she was angry about something, angry and scared. The possessiveness he felt for her roared back to her in a startling answer to her anger, slight confusion filling her. Since when did Pairs with magic-bonding become able to send their feelings to their Dominant partner? Nobody she'd ever known could do that… Maybe later she'd look into it.

Before long the same lull of sleep that claimed Evie had engulfed Mal too.

The pounding of a fist on their door woke them, the crow of their friends yelling at them to hurry up so they could leave. Today was the Hiking Trip. Slipping on a pair of high-waisted dark blue skinny jeans and a black half-sleeved shirt, Mal brushed out her hair and quickly fixed her makeup while Evie donned a similar outfit. Her shirt, however, was a deep royal blue with slits on both shoulders and a teardrop-cutout on her chest, the cut stopping just short enough to be considered appropriate for school. They both wore the same pair of black leather boots with silver studs/buckles, and as Mal slipped on a fuchsia colored flannel over-shirt, Evie quickly snatched her best friends leather jacket before darting out the door with their emergency pack slung over her shoulder.

Mal smiled and shook her head, fully aware of the sneaky little thief's actions, she didn't mind. She could she steal Harry's with a cute little smile and a promise or two she _might_ fulfill… Gotta keep the Pirate King guessing and begging for more. Her eyes caught the shimmer of Ben's pendant, a twinge of regret making her heart hurt. She'd have to do something about that, the last thing she'd ever wanted was to hurt him, and now she understood she couldn't have Harry without hurting Ben in the process. But she knew she'd rather feel happy and loved with Harry Hook, than feel like an inanimate object with King Ben of Auradon. At the last moment, she clasped the pendant around her neck, her fingers ghosting over the intricate goldwork that held the massive peridot gemstone the way they used to ghost over Ben's skin, the way they now touched Harry. So much care and love she'd poured into keeping this jewel perfect, thinking it was the symbol of their love, thinking if he could physically see how much she still cared that he'd come back to her.

The pain threatened to swallow her, tears filling her eyes as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Was this the right choice? Was she jumping ship before knowing if it was even sinking? How could she do this to_ him _knowing it hurt _her_ this much? What would it do to Ben? She heard the door of her room open softly and the heavy footfalls of a man enter, and as Harry came up behind her, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her into the warm safety of his embrace she finally let a soft sob escape the cage she'd built around her voice.

_This_ was the side no one saw from him, the side he showed only to her.

To his Queen.

"Shhh, s'alright love. You keep that blame off yourself, you hear me? It's mine to shoulder, I couldn't let ya go even though I knew you were his girl. Even though I knew it would hurt you to hurt him… You give me that blame now, it's not yours anymore and I won't let you drown in it."

"What have I done Harry?... Am I… am I so awful that I threw away someone else's _life_ for my own happiness? Oh god, what if Evie's right and I get everyone sent back to the Isle?"

"Stop that lass, you're not awful for falling out of love and finding True Love in someone else. If that's the rules then everybody on this fucking land is awful. Is everyone awful?"

She shook her head as tears continued to fall, sobs shaking her body as he kissed her temple.

"Then neither are you love, now dry those eyes. Red and puffy doesn't suit you."

He whispered in her ear the commands she needed to let go of what was left of her and Ben, knowing that if he didn't, it would be her ruin. When her tears were gone and her makeup fixed, he gently leads her out and the group made their way toward the forest. The walk was beautiful, and in a way therapeutic for her. So far from the camera's and the utter perfection that made up Auradon Prep, she was for once truly allowed to be herself again. As the Queen of the Isle relaxed, the other core three did so too, and without noticing how the three newcomers were starting to behave like them too. Uma, Harry, and Gil were beginning to take their moods and cues from the rosette, a sign that they'd accepted her as their leader the same way the other three had. Harry stayed behind Mal as they walked, his eyes never leaving her or the trail around them. The feeling of Dread in his stomach was still there, a nauseating sensation that never proved wrong. Something _was_ going to happen today, he was absolutely sure of it and he had a distinct feeling it centered around Mal, so Harry was determined to keep her in his sights where he could guard her accordingly.

Despite his feeling, Harry couldn't ignore how smoothly and wonderfully the trip was going. They'd all spotted something they'd never seen before, and they were all utterly dumbstruck by the beauty of the wilds around them.

Mal had seen a multicolored bird with its dominant colors being purple and green, which Doug (the resident wildlife expert) had identified as a Crowned Woodnymph, a common type of hummingbird that was known for its spectacular color variations. Evie had seen clouds of blue and white butterflies that seemed to have inspired her to make a new line of dresses, an idea eventually reinforced with the knowledge that some of the butterflies even had metallic gold edges on the sides of its wings. Doug had again identified it as a Blue Morpho Butterfly, but that this color pattern was extremely rare and that he'd never actually seen one like it up close, which made Evie that much more adamant that it's coloring be converted into a permanent fashion icon.

Harry found and captured a Red and Gold Corn Snake to keep as a pet, the color patterns alternating in a fascinating kaleidoscope of reds, oranges, yellows, whites, and blacks. Smirking and hooting, he proudly (and gently) put it in a zippable inner jacket pocket and quickly closed it to keep it warm, he did leave a small portion of it unzipped for air flow after Doug told him it would likely curl up and sleep in his pocket as long as it wasn't jostled or injured during the day. Gil spotted brown bear cubs with their mother at the river and after several warnings, managed to keep a safe distance from them. And Uma was tempted to take some blue and black frogs she found, but Doug warned her they may be poisonous and to do so with adult help later on.

As it grew closer to dinner, the group reached the caves they had been looking for.

The interior was beautiful, the exposed rock that had been eroded by the weather and the rolling waterfall that cascaded into the pool below them. There was a flower bed and grassy moss beds all around the pool, with assorted shrubbery and small critters scuttling about covertly, and with the sunlight streaming through the waterfall, the cave looked incredibly magical. As the girls oo'd and ah'd, the guys found a relatively clean and flat space for their food and went about putting the blanket Lonnie had brought with them so they could sit down. The eight of them laughed and joked while they ate and took their time enjoying the scenery, the women taking the opportunity to cuddle and lean against their respective partners while the men made each other almost choke from the jokes they uttered.

After a while, the girls moved toward the railing to the pool below to see if they could spot any fish in the water and talk about their studies and their relationships without being overheard. After a while, Jane started looking a little downcast as they spoke about their lovers, and as usual, Evie was the first to pick up on it.

"Jane? What's wrong?"

The brunette woman startled a little and then blushed a deep crimson, the shyness she'd battled upon their first year together suddenly returning full force.

"N-nothing… It's nothing really."

"Jane come on, you know we don't believe that. What's on your mind?"

Mal leaned back against the steel railing, the chain fencing between the posts providing a slightly uncomfortable indent on her right hip. She regarded Jane with cool forest green eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, smiling warmly to let her know she wasn't intending to be intimidating.

"W-well it's just... I… I can't get over how intimate your relationships are in comparison to mine and… And I wonder if it's cause Carlos isn't as into me as I think he is."

The other three women stared at Jane in astonishment, utterly perplexed by the notion that Carlos, a man who _adored_ and _doted_ on her, was making her doubt herself. Concerned by the way the brunette's eyes were brimming with unshed tears, Evie and Lonnie made their way toward her and flanked her sides, leaving Mal to lean on the railing alone while they rubbed her back and arms comfortingly. Smiling and whispering words of encouragement, the other two women did their best to dispel her fears and remind her of how much she meant to Carlos.

"Jane listen to me, as someone who's pretty much an expert in horrible relationships and… _forced_… relationships, I can assure you that that is not what you and Carlos De Vil have. You have the truest and most incredible type of love I've ever seen, you both dote on each other and you both look at each other with an expression so sweet and pure that my teeth actually hurt when I see it. Don't doubt how _he_ feels about you because of how openly affectionate our relationships are, Carlos is more reserved and private than that. He shows his love differently and_ a lot _more subtly than the other VK's do, if you want more proof look at how Evie and Doug are, he's just as reserved as Carlos."

Evie nodded vigorously, a laugh bubbling up in her throat.

"It's true, I had to practically beg him for our first kiss. If it hadn't been in a semi-vacant hallway it never would have happened!"

Jane giggled, the laughter causing a stay tear to fall. She quickly wiped it away and rested her head comfortingly against Lonnie's shoulder, her faith in their relationship beginning to restore itself. Mal felt her mouth curve upwards and turned to look toward Harry, who of course felt the pull of her gaze and looked up to see her softened eyes smiling warmly at him. He grinned wolfishly at her and winked, only to see her leaning against the fence and frown.

"Mal! Get off that fence before you fall off the cliffside!"

She felt herself chuckle, and bounced a bit against the railing.

"I'm fine you worry monger! Look it's perfectly safe!"

Harry watched the compacted dirt around the spike she leaned against shift upward slightly as she bounced, a sign that the stake was loose and could easily topple, sending her ass-over-teakettle into the water.

"MAL! Get away from the damned fencepost!"

Confused by the urgency of his tone and the way he was hurriedly walking toward them, the rosette frowned and moved to stand straight up, inadvertently putting more of her weight against the spike. The result was instantaneous, the dirt shifted once more and the stake came loose. Unable to catch herself on anything Mal let out a short shriek of surprise and fell off the cliff, tumbling down the face of the cliff, Mal cried out as something scratched against her hip and once again as a hard object slammed against the back of her skull. She hit the water with astonishing force, knocking the breath out of her as the water swallowed her up the moment her momentum ceased.

"_**MALEFICENT!"**_

Harry reached the cliff seconds after she fell, pausing only to shed his jacket and carefully place it in Lonnie's hands to avoid harming his snake, then he dove over the edge after her. Everyone knew that Mal couldn't swim, and with the force she hit the water with, it was doubtful she was conscious anymore. The water was frigid, but that didn't concern him nearly as much as the trail of blood that wrapped around Mal and slowly permeated the crystal-clear glacier water around him. He quickly swam after her, panic fueling his movements. He reached her just before she hit the bottom, quickly kicking back toward the surface when he realized she wasn't expelling any bubbles and his own lungs were burning for air.

He could vaguely begin to hear the cries of their friends, screaming for them above the surface of the depths. Harry kicked harder as his lungs began to ache and his vision turned redder and redder, agony began to boil his blood, and his limbs began to give out as the weight of Mal's body grew heavier and heavier.

_Mal's body_.

The realization that this would be her tomb spurred new life into him, and suddenly she became as light as a feather in his arms. Mal broke the surface before he did, and was quickly yanked from his arms by a soaked Uma so he could be pulled out to breathe. Jay began pumping her chest when he noticed that it neither rose nor fell with fresh breaths of air, once Harry had gotten enough air, he rushed to her side and began breathing into her.

"Mal! Mal, _please_! Wake up dammit! I can't take this life without you! _**WAKE UP!**_"

He felt the rush of magic hit him as his Dominance over her flared to life in response to his order, and a few hearts stoppingly terrifying moments later, her body convulsed and she spat up every ounce of water she'd swallowed. As she rasped and faded in and out of consciousness, Harry felt tears of joy stream down his face before a soft cry of pain filled his ears. Evie had pressed part of the blanket (after shaking it vigorously to remove the dirt) into her side to stop the bleeding, causing Mal to moan in pain.

"Oh, _Mal_…"

Harry gathered her up in his arms, letting the girls wrap her up in the blanket for warmth.

"The Hideout. Fire. _Heat_."

Nodding in understanding, Evie, Lonnie, Uma, Jane, and Doug bolted for the cabin, intent on setting it up for her before the boys arrived. Harry, Carlos, and Jay took turns carrying Mal back the five miles to the cabin. An hour later the boys arrived just as the fire began to roar to life, and as the cabin warmed Lonnie directed them to the bathroom where Jane had poured a hot bath to bring her back up to temperature. Harry banished all the boys out and helped Jane undress her down to her bra and underthings before slowly easing her into the bath, gently pouring the heated water into her hair. When her breaths came easier and her coloring returned from its sickly pallor, he dried her off, put one of his overshirts on her and wrapped her in a thick woolen blanket.

Slowly, carefully, he maneuvered her into his lap in the Captain's chair by the fireplace, thoughtfully moved there by Uma and sporting another thick blanket for added warmth. He held her in his arms while she slept the trauma away, her breath still raspy and sometimes shallow. Uma hovered nearby, her experience with aiding drowned men from her crew a necessary component, and Gil worked with Evie and Jane to make a hearty chicken soup with a thick broth for them all to stave off the cold.

Before long it neared Curfew, so the others left after helping Harry eat and keeping a pitcher of water and two glasses near him, and after getting express permission to stay in the cabin overnight from Fairy Godmother they had no fear of being reprimanded for not being in the school. The warmth of the fire would have lulled him to sleep before, but with his mind pulsing with thoughts of losing Mal he found it bore no power over him, in fact the warmth seemed to keep him awake.

His senses had tuned so heavily to the land around the cabin that when a car pulled up to the driveway he found himself tensing in rage, he knew who it was before the bumbling buffoon stepped into the house. How _dare_ he show himself here, after leaving the woman he claimed to love so passionately alone for so long? To show up now, of _all times_, and try to be _**her knight in glistening armor?**_

"_Mal_? Mal where-?... Hook? Wh-what are you doing here? With... Mal?"

"That's nae th' question ye should be askin' lad, th' question is wa aur ye haur?"

Ben blinked in shock, trying very hard to make sure he'd translated that from brouged Scottish to English correctly in his mind, when he was sure he understood the words, he found that he didn't get the question.

"I'm sorry? I'm here to see how Mal, _my girlfriend_, is doing… I heard about the fall from Fairy Godmother, she sent me here to check on her."

"Och _aye_… You've seen 'er, noo wa don't ye just go back tae wherever ye waur an' lit 'er be?"

Frustration started to build in him, he had every right to see Mal and check on her, why was Hook being such a dick?

"I have the right to check on _my girlfriend_ Hook… I love her and more importantly, _**she loves me**_."

"Ye love 'er? An' yet ye leave 'er alone constantly, wi' nae a body thaur tae comfort 'er when she cries? Ye caa 'at _love_?"

Pain welled in his chest, the notion of her crying in solitude without him there causing him to whine softly under his breath.

"Ye can whimper aw ye loch boy-king, it doesnae change th' fact 'at ye left 'er alone fur sae lang. Ye don't deserve 'er."

Rage built in his chest as he finally noticed how Harry was holding her, with one hand around her upper torso and another over her hips. Her legs were draped over his and her head rested in the crook of his neck, with his hand gently rubbing dangerously close to her ass. Ben couldn't ignore how intimately he was cradling her, nor could he get over how loving the embrace was.

"The rumors are true then… You love her. You're trying to steal her from me… That's low Hook, even for you!"

"Cannae nab whit was already mine tae begin wi', an' besides, whit makes ye think she didnae want this as much as I did?"

Harry gently lifted her up into his arms as he stood, before softly setting her back into the vacant chair and turning toward the enraged child of Belle and Beast.

"Ye left 'er. She needed ye, an' ye left 'er alone tae shoulder th' burden of yer failed relationship by herself. Don't be radge coz she found someone better fur 'er."

Harry was shockingly calm as he spoke to Ben, knowing that if they both lost their heads to madness the cabin would fall and they'd wake Mal, who desperately needed her rest.

"You're not better for her than I am! I do love her! Our relationship may be a little lost but it hasn't failed, not yet."

"_Lower yer voice_, she needs 'er rest. An' och aye, yer relationship_ is_ a failed body. Ye jist don't want tae admit ye couldnae love 'er properly."

Ben bit back a roar as he fought with his own rage-fueled beasthood, the infuriatingly calm pirate was dragging on his last nerve, and he barely had any remaining control left to keep Mal safe from his rage. He wanted to hurt her, oh gods he wanted to watch her cry and beg for his forgiveness, for his love. But he couldn't do that to her, not like this.

"I could have loved her properly… But being a King isn't easy. I'm expected to be everywhere… I don't know how my father did it, keeping track of everyone and everything. It's exhausting and I don't even get to spend time with friends or family or-... Mal."

Ben felt himself deflate as reality slammed home, he _had_ left her alone, he _had_ let her fall out of love with his inactivity and cruelty. Harry walked over to him, wary due to his chaotic emotions, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You can still do the right thing Beastie-Boy, you can let her go. Let her be with someone who loves her, who knows the real her."

"_**I DO KNOW HER!**_ I know _who_ she is! I know _what_ she is and_ I've almost died for her _several times because I love her so _**fucking much it hurts!**_"

Harry grabbed Ben by the throat, his own temper flaring, magic burned through his body and lit his eyes with icy flame. He pulled him from the cabin as he heard Mal whimper softly before quieting, the combination of his dominance waking and their shouting nearly pulling her from her slumber. Ben grabbed at Harry's hand, which never faltered, and tried vainly to pull it from his throat to allow him to breathe. Once outside, Harry chucked him away from his body and away from the cabin.

"_**I SAID QUIET!**_ Ye wake 'er an' I'll kill ye whaur ye stand! Ye don't know _**anythin' **_abit 'er, ye only know Auradon's version ay 'er! What's 'er favorite color? or 'er favorite fruit besides strawberries? Dae ye e'en know 'er feckin' name _**BOY?!**_"

"Of course I know her name! Her name is Mal, everyone knows that! She likes the color green and her favorite food is… is…"

"Apple tarts... An' 'er favorite color is midnight violit, th' color ay th' sky at duskfall. An' 'er nam, is _Maleficent_, loch 'er mum after 'er."

Ben stared at him, finally noticing his burning ice-cold eyes. Eyes that glowed like Mal's, but with a crueler gleam to them.

"Your eyes… What… You have magic?"

"A gift from Mal, an effect ay our Dominant Bond…"

Ben's brow furrowed as he tried to understand what the hell Harry was talking about, and not at all liking the sound of what it implied.

"What the fuck is a Dominant Bond… And why do you have one with _my girlfriend_?"

Harry's grin was wolfishly cruel, and his eyes glowed brighter still.

"She's nae yer lass anymore... she's _**mine.**_"


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hey Guys! _**

**_Sorry for the long wait, I've had some issues with Writer's Block and anxiety about College starting up. So I know this isn't as long a chapter as you're used to, but unfortunately I'm having issues with connectivity with my laptop and for now, I've gotta post what I can, while I can. Now the Lullaby mentioned below is a direct reference of _**_'The Lady's Hum'_**_ from the game _**_'Little Nightmares'_**_, I found the game a few months ago and I love the song she hums. It's a creepier version of a baby's lullaby and it's one of those songs that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up while also kinda comforting you, just overall a wonderful song that makes you want to hear it over and over again. _**

**_I thank you for your patience and the love I've gotten from this story, please keep R&Ring and tell me how it could be better! _**

**_Much Love,_**

**_~BlackRose999_**

* * *

_Chapter Five: Reap What You've Sown_

Ben glared at Harry, fearful rage building inside him. Harry had just finished explaining what a Dominant Bond was, and what it meant in regards to Mal. For her to be bound to him was as cruel as his parents hating her for being Maleficent's daughter, even though they adored her now, it was well known that she had been feared and very well hated by ninety percent of Auradon. But the knowledge that their friends all _knew_, and were more encouraging about _their_ relationship than the one between him and Mal was revolting and heartbreaking. They were supposed to be his friends, and here they are telling his girlfriend to cheat on him and carry on with another man behind his back!

"How long… how long have you two been Bonded?"

"About four months nauw, we've kept it secret as much as possible, only telling our closest and trusted friends about it. She was scared, didn't want to hurt ya or ruin yer chances fer the throne. I commanded her to give me the blame she felt, and she obeyed of course. She had teh… I forced her teh give up the rest of her guilt before it could swallow her whole and force her teh an early grave."

He had calmed significantly since he'd explained to Ben the significance of a Dominant Bond, and now his accent was sneaking into his words here and there, instead of permeating them. And what he had to say made Ben colder than ice. The guilt Mal had felt would have killed her, the guilt she felt for hurting him by being with Harry, the guilt she felt for allowing herself to _love and be loved_ in return. Had he hurt her that much? Ben felt sick, the image of her in tears over finally, _truly_, falling in love with someone made his heart feel like it would burst.

"What do I do…? I can't just-... just let her go! I love her too Hook! I wanted to make her my QUEEN! I have the ring and everything picked out for her engagement party next month!"

Harry spoke up from his position against the car, the calm and serenity of Mal's magic soothing him further as she slept. He had kept dominance up, using it as a baby-monitor for Mal as she dozed, since he hadn't felt any spikes of alarm from her Harry felt no need to be upset.

"You can just let her go, you just don't want to. You love the_ idea_ of an Isle Child as a bride, but you don't love her. I know what you did last year laddie, the argument surrounding Magic? You were angry at her for trying to please you and the rest of Auradon the only way she could, with the very part of herself that you absolutely hate and fear above all else… She can't give up magic Ben, it's part of her. It runs through her veins as much as blood does, and she needs it just the same. Losing her magic would be losing her life, and I don't say that to be melodramatic."

Ben winced as Harry described the necessity of magic for someone like Mal, who was born with it and from a mixture of incredible forces. He hated to admit how right Harry was, trying to force the rosette to stop using magic was as futile as trying to force her mother to give up her hatred for Auradon. But something about the way he spoke about magic made him pause for thought, he almost spoke like it was a living entity inside her.

"You talk like it lives... like it breathes with her. Why?"

"Magic is life itself Ben, it thinks and feels and acts with the same instinct and personality as it's wielder, sometimes it even acts of its own accord. I've felt magic dance in my blood for the first time in my life, and let me tell you, while I can't use it the way Mal can, I've never felt more powerful in my life. My magic only works on Mal because of the Bond, but it still feels like a maelstrom in my veins. I've got Hydra's and Dragons fighting battles in my bones and Tigers running marathons in my blood. I feel taller than Giants yet I remain as small as a field mouse, and it just gets better when I feel it reach it's ethereal claws into my eyes and set them aflame. Mal's magic has protected her several times of its own free will, she might think she's the one calling it to the surface but no, she's merely acknowledging its presence within her. It saved her when Uma went nuts at Cotillion and showed her she could Shift if needed, and throughout the entire year it was trying to show her she was unhappy and not herself. Magic is a _huge_ part of its wielder, it draws its strength from their heart and it's potency from their own emotions. Her's was so strong that year because she was so angry and frustrated and _scared_, stress had her flaring left and right and forced her to run back to the only safe place she knew, and you _hate her_ for it. You hate her for protecting herself, instead of being the perfect princess you wanted her to be."

"NO! No, I don't hate her for not being perfect! I hate her for not _trusting me_ enough to TELL ME when she's not ok! I hate her for being secretive and for _cheating ON ME WITH_ _**YOU!**_"

Ben wheezed as tears dripped silently down his cheeks, the cold fury burning through his veins masking the utter despair that threatened to choke his lungs and shatter his heart. Harry looked at him with nothing but pity in his heart, the poor child had lost his first real love, and now was lost himself because of it. Mal had that effect on people, she could draw them in and make them love her so deeply and completely, that the loss of her could feel like death itself had wrapped them in a frigid embrace of painful memories of what had once been. Slowly, he made his way over and put a hand on his shoulder, a comforting, brotherly gesture that oddly made Ben weep harder.

"You really are better for her… aren't you?"

"Aye lad... I'm sorry you had to find out this way, she did intend on telling you herself when you came back, she just didn't get the chance."

"I_ love_ her…"

"I know… But if you really love her, you'll let her be happy. Do the right thing Ben… Let Mal go."

A low moan escaped Ben as he finally surrendered to the inevitable, knowing in his soul that he valued her happiness over his own. He always had. They stood and talked a bit longer while Ben tried to regain control over his chaotic emotions, and when he was sure he'd be ok, Harry let him leave. The pirate watched the car's tail lights pull away from the cabin with a saddened soul, he was truly sorry that this had befallen the young King.

He understood how it felt to lose the one you loved most after all.

He walked back into the cabin and quietly re-bolted the door behind him, checking the locks and such to ensure Mal's safety in her weakened state. When he turned back around, he was startled to see a pair of green eyes watching him from beside the fire. Mal was awake and sitting up in the chair, the mound of blankets still wrapped tightly around her slim frame.

"How long have you been awake love? I thought you were still dozin' in that chair.."

"Not long, but long enough to know that Ben knows about us... And that he's letting you keep me."

A soft smile was plastered on her face with precarious precision, but her eyes couldn't hide the tears quietly dripping down her face.

"Does… Does he hate me?.."

Pain lanced through his heart as he quickly made his way over to the weeping sorceress, he knelt before her and cupped her soaked face in his hands.

"Shhh… No loverling, he doesn't hate you. He hates himself for driving you away. He holds no ill-will for you."

Mal sobbed in Harry's arms, the relief and subsequent agony of hurting Ben so badly making her weep in both happiness and pain. After a moment or two, she calmed and allowed Harry to make her feel better. He made her a bowl (or several) of the soup the other VK's had made and helped her settle onto the couch to watch tv with him, after an hour they were both asleep on the couch as the exhaustion of the day caught up to them.

They were woken in the morning by the sound of Evie and the others unlocking the door and checking on them, their arms loaded with plates of breakfast foods from the cafeteria hall. Evie and Jane checked her temperature and offered headache and general pain pills for her bruised body, while Uma and Lonnie (the only two with experience bandaging head wounds), checked her gash and made sure the stitches had held while she slept. The boys quickly served everyone up and they all took their respective places beside the couple, Jay opting to sit beside them so Mal could keep her feet up on his legs and not have to move around too much.

"Ben was here?"

"Aye, and after a little scuffle he's agreed to let Mal go and give us his blessing."

"A 'scuffle'? You never said anything about that last night Harry! Is he ok? Are YOU ok?"

The pirate carefully kissed the brow of the concerned and slightly annoyed rosette, his thumb gently petting the side of her face.

"If I'd told ya that you would've tried to go outside in the frigid air and aggravated your wounds, so yes, I happily withheld that information. If you have a problem with that, feel free to hit me, _after you've healed._"

A grumble or two was his only response from her.

Uma and Evie filled them in about what had happened and told them Fairy Godmother would be by very soon to check on Mal and help close her wounds. About half an hour later a brisk knock on the door alerted them to someone's presence outside their cabin, and from Evie's shocked look it was clear it was definately not Fairy Godmother.

"She wouldn't be here this early, she had to show Dizzy the new art rooms and help her with her schedule change…", Mal and Uma shot Evie a concerned/quizzical look which made the bluenette quickly explain what was going on. "The kid who was bugging her was in some of her classes. So Fairy Godmother moved her to avoid him."

"Why didn't she move _him_?"

"Cause if she did he'd probably start openly hunting her down and trying to… you know…"

Mal and Uma both blanched, their eyes bugging out of their skulls in both rage and terror. A familiar tingle danced up Mal's spine as Uma clenched her teeth, both of them growing angry at the prospect of Dizzy being in danger.

"Mal. _No_. You're injured."

Glowing jade orbs glanced back at Harry's own illuminated sky-blue eyes, she stared at him, testing his will against her own. His eyebrow lifted as the look of bemusement on his face vanished, quickly becoming replaced by irritation as she felt the mental slam of his dominance come crashing down on top of her, and immediately her eyes lost their ethereal luminescence. Her lips pursed in a pout of annoyance, she _wanted_ to do something about the little punk _now_, but somebody obviously had other ideas. other ideas.

"Fine.. I'll do what _you_ want…"

"Hey! No need to be so angry about it, just because you won't be allowed to do anything doesn't mean I won't."

"W-What?!"

"Aye, I'll take care of him. I liked Dizzy, never laid a hook on her back on the Isle. She's what, ten?"

Evie looked at him and opened her mouth to speak just as Uma answered with a sharp, "Eleven." Harry chuckled and held his hands up in mock surrender, smirking at the two girls.

"_Eleven_, sorry. I'll be sure to remind the lad of her age when I see him."

The door to the hideout banged again as the knocking came once more, this time a bit more forcefully. Jay walked over and ripped the door open, a glare on his face as he readied himself to yell at the person on the other side of the door. He looked around for a second and then looked down, at the tearful form of Dizzy. Little Dizzy wore the younger kid's uniform for Auradon Prep, a blue pleated skirt and a white button up tee emblazond with the school's sigil, and a black ribbon tied around the collar. Her hair had been pulled up into her twin pigtails and had been redyed with new (_brighter_) colors, but one of them had been yanked from it's ties and was hanging limply by her shoulder. A red spot on her cheek showed evidence of a slap that had begun to fade, and her right wrist was red and beginning to bruise.

"H-Hi J-Jay… C-Can I… C-Come in? P-_Please_?"

"_Dizzy_? What's wrong?"

Evie rushed over and shoved Jay out of the way, her sapphire hair swinging wildly as she ran over to her pseudo-sister. She petted her hair and led her into the cabin, sitting her down in the chair Uma had helpfully vacated before kneeling down in front of her.

"Honey, what happened? Are you ok?"

"H-He hit me… He g-grabbed my arm and p-pulled my h-hair! He t-told me I-I was a f-filthy v-villian s-spawn and that I d-deserved to get s-sent back t-to the I-Isle!"

Dizzy sobbed in Evie's arms, clutching her shirt as she howled into her shoulder. Mal absent-mindedly shifted as Harry got up, murmuring something about getting her some ice for her cheek.

"H-He's right though… I-Isn't he? I _am_ a s-stupid v-villian and I s-shouldn't b-be allowed i-in A-Auradon!"

A gasp escaped Evie as she jerked Dizzy away from her as though she'd been burned, gripping her shoulders in hand Evie gave the child a slight shake in anger.

"_Dizzella Tremaine_! I don't _ever_ want to hear you say _anything_ like that ever again! You are the sweetest, kindest, and purest VK I've ever met, and whether they like it or not, _you belong here_. Out of _EVERYONE_ here in this room, you deserve to be here the most! Everyone here but you, has taken a life at some point or another, we deserve to be in _jail_! You've done _nothing _wrong!"

Another broken sob tore Dizzy as Evie carefully held her face in her hands, wiping her tears away with her thumbs the way a mother might. She held Dizzy for a long time, gently rocking her as her tears began to subside. As quiet sniffles filled the room, Evie reached into her purse and grabbed her hairbrush. She had the child switch places with her while she gently took the ties out of her hair and began running the brush through her tangled locks, a soft hum echoing in her throat.

Mal quickly recocgnized the tune, the three note lullaby that she'd sung on the nights Dizzy's grandmother had kicked her out for 'Back-Talking' or 'Being stupid'. A tune that while was a bit eerie to those having never heard it before, it comforted those born from the Isle. She noticed even Uma closed her eyes to listen to Evie's voice, a sign that even the Sea-Children had been raised with the tune. It was known as the Dark Lullaby, new mothers would sing it to their children during the night to mask the screams of the outside world. You only heard it for the first eleven years of your life on the Isle, after that, you listened to the screams to harden your heart and dispel any thoughts of life outside your mother's arms being kind to you.

A tear slipped down the elder VK's cheeks, a tear that was their only acknowledgment of the sins they were forced to commit, and endure.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, but college has been kinda chaotic for me. I only get three days off and thats IF I don't have homework to do. So I apologize again for the lateness of the chapter. Unfortunately, this is going to end up being the new norm, so I'm gonna have to ask that you suck it up and deal with it like me lol. _**

**_Anyway please enjoy this new chapter and have a great night!_**

**_Much Love,_**

**_BlackRose999_**

* * *

_Chapter Seven: The Dark Cometh_

Harry couldn't hide the smirk that twisted his handsome features into a wolfish snarl, he felt like breaking something. Or to be more specific_… someone_. Hearing what the little shit had done to the youngest VK, and the fact that he'd been doing it for some time, made his blood boil with tightly contained rage that was just begging to be let loose. The pirate stalked about the halls of the school, intently looking for the intoxicating air of violent superiority this punk would no doubt expel from his putrid core, a feeling Harry was sure he himself was radiating.

Muscles burned and ached with anticipation, he hadn't had a good fight in so long, and now it was a craving so strong that he was positive it would feel like an orgasm when it was satiated.

The hallways held no one that fit the air he was searching for, but the courtyard was a very different story. A cluster of boys stood by a large tree that shaded a nice portion of grass around it's trunk, while it normally wouldn't have made him pause, the sudden realization that girls were actively _avoiding_ the group made him suddenly veer off into their direction. The closer he got the more obvious their combined auras became, they all had varying degrees of rage and unchecked complexes that made him grin in delight.

Their rage would make them sloppy, they'd lose focus and ultimately lose the coming brawl.

"Hey, I got somethin' to ask you boys."

The collective murmur of their conversations came to an abrupt halt at Harry's sudden intrusion, and as they all turned to look at him he noticed they all looked like perfect gentlemen. These boys were dressed like perfect students, not a hair lay out of place, and they all sported semi-toned physiques that told him most would be sportsmen. But something was definitely wrong with them, it became painfully obvious as he finally got a good look at their eyes.

Every pair of eyes, was dead.

Blue, Green, Brown, Hazel, all dead. Lifeless orbs of total stoicism and sadistic detachment. These boys wouldn't have seen Dizzy as a little girl, defenseless and undeserving of their torture, all they would have seen was another girl who just happened to be a VK. They would have enjoyed her helplessness, her inability to fight back against their wit. But then again, only _one_ of these boys had actually hurt her badly enough to seek help. And he planned to put an end to the torment permanently.

"Which one of you rotten fucks hurt the little VK girl?"

A bit of emotion flickered to life behind their eyes, an emotion that was undoubtedly fueled by anger. An elder boy made his way through the crowd, he looked no older than sixteen, maybe seventeen. He bore caramel-gold eyes and raven-black hair, his skin was a dark chestnut color and was flawless, he was a heartbreaker. And normally he wouldn't have cared an ounce about how cruelly beautiful he was, but it was little Dizzy's heart he broke.

"The little bitch with the pigtails who wouldn't shut up? That would be me. What do you want?"

Harry chuckled and looked up at him from under hooded lids, feeling his eyes burn with frigid fire as his temper swallowed him. His fist clenched and before the guy could blink, he'd slammed it up into the V of his jaw. The kid dropped like a sack of potatoes, clutching his jaw. Snarling in rage, Harry viciously kicked him in the ribs, then again in the stomach as the other boys watched in terror at the brutal justice being dished out.

Justice they were not keen on turning towards themselves if they dared interfere with the pirate's fury.

"She's _eleven_. Did you know that? Did you_ care_ to find out?"

Another kick went to his jaw, breaking a tooth or two.

"She's never had _anything_ to be happy about, or excited about like being here. At Auradon. _With nasty little cumstains like you!_"

Harry dropped down and started punching him, aiming for the eyes and the nose, things that would easily break and show up beautifully when bruised. To the other kids, he looked terrifying, beautifully glowing blue eyes that pulsed and shifted like Mal's, set into a snarling face.

"You beat up an_ ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD CHILD_! A _GIRL_ no less! What kind of _MAN_ are you!?"

A stray fist slammed into his throat for added emphasis, a brutal assurance that the point would be made. The kid sputtered and reached for his throat, trying to force air into his unresponsive lungs. Growling, Harry reached down and grabbed him by the hair, forcing him to look Harry in the eyes.

"You won't go near her again. You won't touch her, speak to her, you won't even fucking _look_ at her. I find out you so much as _breathed on her_ and I'll rip your goddamn throat out with my fucking _teeth_, I'll flay you alive and watch you scream as the air that touches your exposed muscle makes you writhe in agony. Have I made myself clear?"

When there was no immediate affirmation from his victim, Harry screamed directly into his face.

"_**HAVE I MADE MYSELF FUCKING CLEAR BOY!?"**_

"_YES! YES, I'M SORRY!_"

Harry dropped his broken and bleeding body in disgust, shoving himself away from the pathetic cretin with no intention of being gentle about it. His rage-filled eyes scanned the boy's friends, delighted to see their once-dead eyes filled with nothing but fear.

"_Any_ of you try and avenge him, or try to get to Dizzy for him, and I'll make sure you all look like him. One by one, you'll find yourselves in the hospital, and one by one, you'll end up dead."

With that he turned and stalked away, leaving the bruised and bloodied boy on the ground for his friends to pick up. Harry could have skipped like a fucking fairytale princess all the way back to the cabin, he was so happy to feel pain in his knuckles again. He'd catch hell for it, no doubt, both from Fairy Godmother and from Mal. But in his mind, it was _so_ worth it.

Of course, the moment he stepped foot into the cabin with bloodied knuckles and an incredibly nauseating air of violent pleasure he was met with furious green eyes and a very pissy-looking Fairy Godmother.

It appeared that while he was enjoying himself the headmistress had come to check on them.

Damn his rotten luck.

"Harry! What the _hell_ \- sorry Fairy Godmother- What in Hades is wrong with you?!"

"Mal I can, unfortunately, assure you the use of the name Hades still classifies as a curse in this scenario, _however_, I must concur with you. What in the bloody blazes of the Underworld gave you the notion that beating up another student would be tolerated, Mr. Hook?"

The VK's stared at Fairy Godmother with open-mouthed astonishment, this was the closest the woman had ever gotten to actually cussing at anyone, and she didn't seem the least bit concerned with the fact that her _almost-cussing_ was directed at a student. Even Harry was looking at her in what might be considered fear, if she was angry enough to near curse at him he might actually be in serious trouble.

His previous assessment of the Fairy woman was apparently very miscalculated, she was not a pushover after all.

"I… um… decided he needed an attitude adjustment?"

Fairy Godmother nearly went atomic.

"An _**ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT?**_ Are you _daft in the head_ child? THAT BOY WILL BE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR _**WEEKS!**_"

Harry regained some of that righteous anger that had fueled his desire for destruction, feeling the burn of his Dominance flare once again he screamed right back at her, "_**An' if Ah hadnae dain anythin' Dizzy wulds be in his place! He didn't car how old she was, ur how badly he'd hurt 'er, aw he cared abit was hoo guid he felt abit it! Ur ye really gonnae pit his well-bein' ower her's?**_"

That seemed to deflate Fairy Godmother a little bit, and she looked at the VK in front of her with pained eyes.

"I'm supposed to safeguard all the student's well-being, not just one. I adore Dizzy, but he's my student too. While the Parent in me applauds your brotherly sense of justice, the Rule-maker in me must discourage it…"

Harry glared at her, his body nearly trembling with rage.

"Sae yoo're jist gonnae lit hem get away wi' it? He beat an eleven-year auld lass, an' th' rule-maker in ye says that's awe rite? Is 'at whit yoo're sayin'?"

Fairy Godmother looked at him with agony-filled eyes that threatened to spill, her voice beginning to crack. But Harry had long since become deaf to her grief, and now wanted nothing but to rid himself of her presence.

"I'm saying that I can't legally do anything…. She has to complain to me… repeatedly, and I have to witness it myself. I'm so sorry Harry, I know shes's-"

"_**Ye don't ken anythin'! Ah protected 'er on th' isle, Ah loo'd 'er loch a bairn sister, an' Ah willnae tolerate 'at wee fuckstick beatin' on 'er ever again!**_"

Harry shoved past Fairy Godmother with tangible hate, stalking over to Mal and holding out his hand.

"Come wi' me, _now._"

"Mr. Hook I must protest, you need to be punished-!"

"Ah don't gie a buck whit ye want hen, Ah have nae respect fur ye. Anyain who condones_ littlin' abuse _isnae human tae me anymair."

A gasp left the headmistress as tears finally fell down her cheeks and her legs seemed to give out from under her, Harry dragged Mal out of the cabin and to her room, and when the door shut behind them he dropped to his knees and buried his face into her stomach. He clutched her against him tightly as her hands ran through his hair as gently as the summer wind kissed one's face, and as her shirt began to stick to her skin, Mal lifted his face gently and kissed the tears that dribbled silently down his face away. Harry had looked up to Fairy Godmother, like the other VK's he'd seen her as a substitute parent without ever really realizing it, and now that the pedestal of goodness that held her up in his eyes had shattered, he too was beginning to crack.

Quietly, and without judgment, she eased him into bed and curled herself around him, letting him bathe in the aura of protection and love she poured out of herself. Mal said nothing as she petted his hair until he'd cried himself to sleep, her tender heart breaking as she watched him cry a little longer in his sleep. She felt her magic stir, and like she had done with Evie not two nights ago she watched the door warily, but this time she had a bigger part of her soul to protect.

A better reason to slit the next unfriendly throat that stepped across that threshold.

Evie appeared at the door another hour later, her signature knock warning Mal that it was just her and that she meant no harm. She took in the state of Harry Hook and decided to stay silent, but offered Mal a dinner plate and a forehead kiss before heading to Doug's room for the night. Normally Mal might have wondered about that, her sleeping in his room and the implied significance it held, but at the moment Harry's welfare plagued her mind more. Evie had put Harry's plate in the mini-fridge beside Mal's bed, and after a nibble or two, her own plate joined it.

She was too stressed to eat.

The man beside her had the face of a boy caught in a nightmare, and with a bit of peridot-green magic, she smoothed his features with a more pleasant dreamscape, allowing her to smile a bit. And like Evie, before too long the lull of sleep claimed her too.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hey guys, sorry for the long Haitus. It was unintentional and I apologize for it, I've been busy with college work and the writing of a new GOT fic, feel free to check it out! Thank you guys for being so patient with me and let me know what you think! _**

**_As always, Disney owns everything XD_**

**_Much Love, _**

**_BlackRose999_**

* * *

_Chapter Eight: Lightning and Blood_

Mal sighed as she listened to the teacher drone on and on about grammar and proper pronunciation of french, her wine-colored nails tapping lightly on the wooden desk. She was placed beside the window overlooking the forest, and as her mind wandered farther and farther out into the world around her, she felt an odd pressure beginning to form in the back of her mind. It was like a probe, a soft barely-noticeable finger running along with her mental barriers as if searching for a crack. Frowning, she felt her magic stir as she strengthened her barriers, and then just as quickly as she felt it, the sensation was gone. The rosette sorceress gritted her teeth as her magic died down, allowing her to suddenly hear the professor ask her to explain a specific part of the text.

"I wasn't listening, can you repeat the question?"

The class snickered around her, and she felt her cheeks warm slightly with embarrassment.

"_Je peux voir ça mademoiselle Mal_, perhaps you should spend more time listening to your instructors rather than daydreaming, and remember, _En français s'il vous plaît._ _Un esprit oisif est un esprit endormi._"

Mal ducked her head, avoiding his eyes as a sharp mental jab slammed into the back of her mind, momentarily blinding her. Biting her lip, Mal shoved back as hard as she could and winced when a headache formed, then with the steadiest voice she could manage and a precarious smile, she murmured, "_Oui Monsieur Lumière, pardonnez-moi." _

"Apology accepted, now _la tête en bas et l'esprit vif!_"

The rest of the class had her in near tears as the odd probe would return at random moments, desperately trying to burst through her barriers. By the time the bell rang Mal could barely walk without using the wall as a support system, no longer caring about the rest of her classes she slowly made her way to her room, where she collapsed the moment the door closed behind her. She lay sprawled out on the floor just behind the door, her body inadvertently acting as a door jamb. When Evie and Harry came looking for her later they were perplexed when the door wouldn't move, until Harry stuck his head into the room and frantically shoved as hard as he could to move Mal's unconscious body out of the way. He was beside her in a moment, checking her for injuries and growing more panicked when he couldn't find any, and when Evie finally managed to get his attention he picked the rosette up and screamed at her to point him to Fairy Godmother.

He was angry at the Fairywoman, but he knew no one else with medical knowledge of those who were magically-inclined. Harry all but dropped Mal into the elder woman's hands the moment he got close to her, begging and pleading with terrified eyes for her to help his queen.

"Mr. Hook what on earth are you- _Bibbidi Bobbidi oh __**my goodness**__!"_

"Can ye do the bippin' ahn the boppin' later? The lass needs your help!"

"I-I don't have anything to-"

"_**CAN YE HELP 'ER UR NAE!?" **_

Fairy Godmother let out a startled squawk and headed for the infirmary, trying her hardest to keep a pace Harry deemed acceptable, which appeared to be a light run. While the trio made their way to the infirmary, Mal tried to find a way out of unconsciousness. She was getting rather annoyed about it too, after she'd passed out her walls came crumbling down and left her exposed, allowing whatever force that kept trying to entangle her in its web to merrily go about its business. She could feel it poking about in her mind, inspecting random memories.

She lay asleep for what felt like ages before the pull of Dominance forced her to wake. Harry stood over her, relief filling his eyes like water. He breathed a sigh that found her suddenly filling with a rage she'd never felt before as if she'd drawn in his anger and fear. She felt it clawing up her throat and forcing her face to contort with pain at the need to scream. It burst forward through her with a force she'd never felt before, burning and tearing at her throat. Harry held her through it, rocking her as she screeched and cried at the force of it, his scorching orbs casting silencing looks at worried faces that appeared as she screamed.

"It's alright lass… Let it go. Let it out and give it away."

It came harder, pouring out of her every time she took a breath of air. Finally her screaming ended, leaving her gasping for every painful ragged breath. She looked, and felt, exhausted.

"Mal? What can I do?"

Harry spoke for her, catching Evie's eye with a guarded look of absolute protection, Mal was his only priority, and she needed silence.

"Water for starters," then, turning to Mal ", and then I want to know why the hell you knocked out lass."

"Harry I don't know. I felt wrong... like someone was trying to fiddle with my mind. And the headache I got from trying to fight it knocked me unconscious. The pain and the constant fight."

This troubled him greatly, it wasn't a hidden fact to those from the Isle that magic users could meddle with Dominant Bonds from the outside, sometimes even shatter them if it was a beneficial bond between two lovers like theirs.

"Anyone new in class? Someone suddenly taking an interest in you when they didn't before?"

"No. No one is new and no one but me is acting weird."

"Then what in the blazes of Hades has you flaring so harshly?"

Mal shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. She didn't understand what was going on, nor did she like it. Harry touched her head, and suddenly she couldn't take it anymore, she bolted up and ran out the door into the rain. She was soaked in moments, the monsoon roaring overhead with bolts of icy light.

"MAL! Mal stop!"

She paid no heed to his words, and when the pull of dominance flared she staggered against it. She needed to run, hide, get away from everyone. The pull flared again, stronger this time, and she dropped. Landing on her hands and knees, she retched as the feeling in her chest grew heavier and the pounding of her head returned.

"Oh, Mal…"

Harry knelt beside her, pulling her hair away from her face lovingly before she smacked it away. Her eyes lit up, and she glared at Harry with a look of loathing that made his heart twist.

"Let me go!_ Let me go,_ Harry! _**Please!**_"

Harry looked heartbroken and tried to reason with her. "Ye don' want that lass… you're just scared." Mal laughed brokenly, her body aching with such a force she nearly toppled into him then and there. She was hurt, scared, and alone. She didn't need him, right?

"No… No, you have to let me go! Please, Harry, I'm suffocating, I can't breathe with you here!"

He looked shattered, broken, and lost. But he felt his eyes burn with a familiar pull of magic, and as he opened his mouth a bang rang out and his chest bloomed with a pain he'd never felt before. Sword wounds hurt less than this, and for a moment his mind couldn't make sense of what had happened. He dropped, falling into her as she screamed and held him.

" _HARRY?_ Nonono, stay with me! Please! _HELP!_ _**SOMEBODY HELP ME!" **_

Agony seared through the bond, like liquid metal on bare skin, and the quiet that followed it made her dizzy with fear. He lay in her arms, blood pooling around her and onto her hands. They were so red… She couldn't lose him, not now, not like this. Desperate, she reached for her magic and felt it envelop her in a green vortex of power.

"_Take back what has been, remove the death of who I've seen. As I will it, so mote it be!" _

Magic felt like ice in her blood, and with a bolt of blue light, she watched the life leave his eyes. Screaming, she felt the bond shatter, the force of it knocking her unconscious. That's how her friends found her, soaked to the bone and bloody, with Harry's body on top of her. When she woke, the emptiness inside her made her retch, and no matter how much Evie tried, she could not console her. Frightened, Evie went to Fairy Godmother for a sleeping drought, and what she found made her cry. In his pocket, covered in blood, was a ring. No doubt meant for Mal. It was rose gold with handcrafted dragon lilies and a red gemstone, with two silver skulls between the lilies. When Mal saw it, she cried harder and screamed until she was hoarse, but eventually when it was cleaned she wore his ring. That night, she woke to the rush of magic in the room, and when she looked at her hand she felt the magic coming from the stone.

Intrigued, she gently touched the stone, and then screamed when Harry appeared by her bedside.

* * *

_Translations: _

"I can see that miss Mal," - "_Je peux voir ça mademoiselle Mal_,"

"In French please. An idle mind is a sleeping mind." - "_En français s'il vous plaît._ _Un esprit oisif est un esprit endormi._"

"Yes Monsieur Lumiere, forgive me." - "_Oui Monsieur Lumière, pardonnez-moi."_

"Once more with spirit!" - "_la tête en bas et l'esprit vif!_"


End file.
